Today construction workers at the EA Sports site at Creative Village got one fingernail painted blue to raise awareness for child abuse. It's part of the MANicure movement that was launched by the local nonprofit Embrace Families.
The workers got one fingernail on each hand painted blue to symbolize the 1 in 5 children in the US who will be abused before the age of 18.
Embrace Families Director Glen Casel says he’s gotten his index finger painted blue the last four years and it’s helped sparked conversations around abuse.
"But it sparks a conversation and people say, you know, wow, I had no idea. Wow, I didn't realize that this was real in our society. And so it's, it's been a great opportunity for us to spread the word about child abuse and make sure that people know that they have a little bit of a responsibility to help keep children in our community safe."
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Titan Electric Southeast founder and leader Mike Neswold says he hopes the polish starts conversations around abuse.
"But if we can create this awareness and people can understand, maybe we can put a stop to this and that's the goal. The goal is zero abuse. But, you know, sometimes it's hard to believe that you can get anywhere near but we're giving it our best to try."
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Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon and Orange County Sheriff John Mina also got their nails painted to raise awareness.
If you or someone you know is being abused, whether physically, emotionally or verbally, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
