The rain may have washed away the walking portion of the Ninth Annual March for Children Saturday, but the presentation to honor two area advocates for children was still meaningful.
Child Abuse Prevention Services moved the program inside into the courthouse and honored two people they called "Champions for Children" in Dr. Franco Chua and Bruce Walker, who both passed away in December of 2008.
Chua was a pediatrician in town and friend Ellen Harbaugh spoke on behalf of him and said he is "missed terribly."
"He worked a lot with child abuse prevention and that was one of his major things," she said.
Walker was a longtime school counselor with the Marshalltown Community School District. Woodbury Elementary School Principal Dr. Tom Renze worked with Walker and talked about his passion for the youth in the area.
"He was a man of integrity, incredible compassion and concern for others," Renze said. "He served as a role model for us all."
Jana Enfield, executive director with CAPS, called Chua the "father" of the agency she now runs and called Walker a "heartwarming individual."
Mike Hanken, of the Marshalltown Police Department, said there are three reasons why they held Saturday's event -to remember victims of child abuse, to celebrate children living in a safe home and to honor those who serve children.
The March for Children - which usually walks from the courthouse to Riverside Cemetery - is part of Child Abuse Prevention month.
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Contact Andrew Potter at 641-753-6611 or apotter@timesrepublican.com
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