Daniel Morcombe Foundation ensures legacy lives on

 Educate and communicate. This was the message Bruce and Denise Morcombe gave to Whitsunday families when they spoke at the Summergarden Theatre in Bowen on Thursday night.

 The well-known parents of Daniel Morcombe visited the region in their new capacity as child safety ambassadors, conducting a Queensland road tour in conjunction with Child Protection Week. While the brightly painted child safety truck bypassed the communities of Proserpine and Airlie Beach, Bruce and Denise Morcombe did visit Collinsville and Bowen as part of their quest to ensure fewer families share the same fate.

 A number of Whitsunday regional councillors attended Thursday’s presentation, which Cr Jennifer Whitney described as an “absolutely fantastic” yet at the same time “emotionally daunting” event.

 “It was a reality check that this could be happening in our community and we’re not aware of it and not dealing with it,” Ms Whitney said.

 Cr Jan Clifford said the Morcombes were “incredibly brave people”.

 “They’ve turned the most horrendous negative into a great positive. The grace with which they have conducted themselves is a lesson to us all,” she said.

 Ms Clifford said many people wore some form of red clothing “as a bit of solidarity with the Morcombes”, who talked briefly about their experiences over past few weeks of “finding” Daniel and the work that the Morcombe Foundation now does.

 The Morcombe’s address was followed by a question-and-answer session and the screening of the film “Polly and me”, which Ms Clifford described as “very confronting”.

 “The message we took home from it is we’re all responsible. We all have to do whatever it takes to keep children safe; whether that’s making a phone call to the police, child services, or crisis and counselling – speak to somebody if you’re at all worried about a child you know,” she said.

 Two child safety DVD’s are available free of charge through the Morcombe Foundation’s website. For more information go to www.danielmorcombe.com.au

Photo courtesy of the Bowen Independent