May 2026 Newsletter

Letter from Executive Director

Dear McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center Family,

April was a powerful month of recognizing and raising awareness about child abuse at child advocacy centers across our region, state, and nation. At McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center, we celebrated a beautiful evening at the Pinwheel Ball while recognizing the incredible individuals and organizations that help make our work possible. We also wrapped up the month by celebrating the 10-year anniversary of our Step Up 4 Kids 5K with the largest attendance yet!

Thank you to everyone who helped shine a light on the importance of protecting and supporting children in Onondaga County, whether you attended an event, donated, sponsored, volunteered, or supported us in any way. We truly could not accomplish all that April entails without all of you.

Now, onward to our 100 Holes 4 Kids golf tournament on May 18th! 100 holes of golf. Plenty of sore muscles. All to benefit the children served by McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center. We are incredibly grateful to all participants for their fundraising efforts, dedication, and endurance it takes to participate in this event. Your steadfast commitment helps ensure children and families in our community continue to receive the support, advocacy, and healing they deserve.

Warm regards,

Mrs. Erin Bates

THANK YOU FOR GOING BLUE 4 KIDS THIS APRIL!

Thank you to everyone who supported McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center during Child Abuse Prevention Month this April. Our community showed incredible support by going blue for kids and helping raise awareness for children and families across Onondaga County.

Throughout April, blue pinwheels filled neighborhoods, businesses, schools, and campuses, serving as visible reminders that every child deserves a safe, healthy childhood. Through our Go Blue 4 Kids Campaign, pinwheel gardens, Blow Away displays, and shared conversations, awareness extended far beyond our walls.

We are also deeply grateful to everyone who participated in and supported our April events and fundraisers, including The Pinwheel Ball, our live and silent auctions, Dine Out 4 Kids, and Step Up 4 Kids. Whether you attended, volunteered, bid, donated, purchased tickets, or helped spread the word, your involvement made a real impact.

Because of your support, we can continue providing trauma‑informed care, advocacy, prevention education, and hope to children and families when they need it most. Thank you for helping make April a powerful month of awareness, action, and community.

Together, we continue building a safer, stronger future for children—long after April ends. 💙

MDT SPOTLIGHT: DETECTIVE BRITTANY WEBB

Detective Brittany Webb has been with the Syracuse Police Department for nearly 12 years and currently serves in the Special Victims Unit, where she has worked for just under a year. Her path to this role was shaped by her time on patrol, where some of the most impactful calls she responded to involved children and families in crisis.

Those experiences inspired Detective Webb to pursue work in the Special Victims Unit, where ensuring victims feel heard, supported, and believed is central to everything she does. “Working in SVU has shown me how important it is for victims to feel supported during some of the most difficult moments of their lives,” she shared.

For Detective Webb, the most rewarding part of her work is listening to and supporting children and families, helping each victim feel acknowledged and understood. Serving in this role holds special meaning for her, as she grew up in Syracuse and takes pride in giving back to the community that raised her.

We are deeply grateful for Detective Webb’s commitment, compassion, and partnership, and for the vital role she plays in supporting children and families in our community.

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH:

CASSIDY GAZDA

Cassidy Gazda, our Outreach and Education Specialist, demonstrates a deep commitment to children and families through her work at McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center. Her passion is rooted in a simple but powerful belief: every child deserves to feel safe, supported, and heard.

In her role, Cassidy is driven by the opportunity to educate our community, build meaningful connections, and help create safer environments for children and families. Whether she’s leading a training, sharing resources, or engaging in conversation, she understands that even one interaction can make a meaningful difference—and that knowledge motivates her every day.

“I continue to do this work every day because every child deserves to feel safe, supported, and heard,” Cassidy shared. “Knowing that even one conversation, training, or resource shared can make a difference is what motivates me every day. I am proud to be a part of our team at McMahon Ryan.”

We are incredibly grateful for Cassidy’s dedication, passion, and leadership in outreach and education. Her work plays a vital role in advancing our mission and strengthening the safety and wellbeing of children and families in our community.

UPCOMING EVENTS

100 Holes for Kids Is Almost Here!

Our annual 100 Holes for Kids golf fundraiser is coming up on May 18, and excitement is building as our dedicated golfers prepare to take on this meaningful challenge in support of McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center.

While registration has closed, there’s still time to make an impact by supporting our golfers through a donation. Every gift helps fund critical services for children and families in our community and directly supports our mission of healing, prevention, and advocacy.

Learn more about the event and contribute to individual golfer fundraising pages here:

🔗 https://www.mcmahonryan.org/events/100-holes-4-kids/

Thank you for cheering on our golfers and helping us continue this important work—your support truly makes a difference for kids who need it most.

SUPPORT A GOLFER!

Mark your calendars! Cops 4 Kids returns on Friday, August 14, at Drumlins Country Club for another impactful day supporting children and families served by McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center.

This special event brings together law enforcement, community members, and supporters for a day of connection, competition, and purpose—all benefiting critical services for local children.

🗓 Friday, August 14

📍 Drumlins Country Club

Registration is open now for past participants, and will open to the public on May 22nd. We encourage teams and individuals to keep an eye out and plan to join us!

We look forward to another successful Cops 4 Kids and hope to see you on the course in August!

OUTREACH & EDUCATION SPOTLIGHT:

Podcast Pt. 2 Out Now!

Last month, members of our team partnered with Play2Learn to record a podcast focused on essential safety conversations for children. The discussion highlights practical, age‑appropriate ways caregivers and educators can empower children through open communication, prevention, and education.

We’re excited to share that Part Two of this podcast is now available, continuing the conversation and expanding on the strategies shared in Part One.

This collaboration aligns closely with McMahon Ryan’s commitment to prevention and community education, and we’re pleased to share it more widely with our community.

🎧 Listen & Watch

Podcast – Part One

Podcast – Part Two

We’re grateful for opportunities like this to share our expertise beyond our walls and continue meaningful conversations that help keep children safe. We encourage our community to listen, share, and join us in prioritizing prevention through education.

VOLUNTEER WITH US:

McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center volunteers dedicate thousands of hours each year to helping children and families in our community. We truly could not do this important work without their time, compassion, and commitment.

Volunteer opportunities are designed to be meaningful and rewarding, with different levels of training depending on the amount of direct contact you’d like to have with children.

Current Volunteer Needs Include:

Family Reception / Waiting Room support
Special Events assistance
Assembling Prevention Education materials

If you’re interested in becoming an MRCAC volunteer, please download and complete a volunteer application. You may also consider joining one of our committees to support our mission in additional ways.

Get Started:

Contact Nina Peters

📧 npeters@mcmahonryan.org

📞 315‑701‑2985

Please return the completed forms to npeters@mcmahonryan.org or mail them to:

McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center

601 E. Genesee Street

Syracuse, NY 13202

Fax: 315-701-3040

CFRT SPOTLIGHT:

May is National Water Safety Month

May is recognized as National Water Safety Month, an annual awareness campaign led by the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) in partnership with national organizations dedicated to drowning prevention. The campaign focuses on increasing water safety education and preventing injuries and fatalities as families prepare for the summer swim season.

Why Water Safety Matters

Drowning remains a leading and preventable cause of death for children in the United States, particularly among young children. Thousands of lives are lost each year, highlighting the importance of proactive prevention, awareness, and community education efforts.

Key Water Safety Messages

National Water Safety Month promotes being “water smart”—meaning being safe in, on, and around water, learning to swim, and knowing what to do in an emergency. A key concept emphasized by partners like the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA) is the “layers of protection” approach. This framework recognizes that no single safety strategy is sufficient on its own and encourages multiple safeguards to reduce risk.

Core prevention strategies include:

Active, constant supervision: Always designate a focused “Water Watcher” and keep children within arm’s reach.
Barriers and access prevention: Install four-sided pool fencing, self-latching gates, and alarms to prevent unsupervised access.
Water competency: Enroll children in swim lessons to build essential safety skills.
Life jackets: Use U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets, especially in open water.
Emergency preparedness: Learn CPR and be ready to respond quickly in a water emergency.

Drowning is often quick and silent and can occur in everyday settings, even during brief lapses in supervision—making vigilance and layered protections critical.

Prevention Starts at Home and in the Community

Many fatal incidents occur in residential settings or familiar environments, underscoring the importance of safety planning at home. Combining supervision, environmental safeguards, and skill-building significantly reduces the risk of drowning.

National Water Safety Month is an opportunity for the community to come together to:

Share water safety education with families and caregivers
Promote access to swim lessons and water safety resources
Encourage the use of multiple layers of protection
Reinforce supervision and emergency preparedness

Working together, communities can reduce preventable child deaths and support safer experiences around water.

Sources

National Water Safety Month (Pool & Hot Tub Alliance): [ndpa.org]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Drowning Data: [ndpa.org]
American Red Cross, Drowning Prevention Facts: [vdh.virginia.gov]
National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA), Water Safety Toolkit & PSAs: [wcyb.com]