Pinwheels keep twirling throughout the Inland Northwest this month.

The most visible symbol of the region’s Our Kids: Our Business child abuse prevention campaign, they’ve sprouted up on the grounds of Sacred Heart Medical Center. A huge pinwheel banner drapes down one side of Deaconess Medical Center. Hundreds appeared this week in a display at Independence Point in Coeur d’Alene. And there’s even a campaign in the breeze for a giant permanent pinwheel at Riverfront Park in Spokane.

The region’s social service agencies plan to distribute as many as 20,000 pinwheels this month. They’ve ordered thousands of the toys and sent staff members scurrying to every dollar store in the region.

This symbol replaces the grim blue ribbons that used to draw attention to the lives lost to child abuse. Pinwheels, instead, symbolize the innocence and joy of childhood and the commitment of every caring adult to protect all our children.

As these displays spread throughout the region, we hope you’ll be inspired to take tangible steps to prevent child abuse and neglect. There are so many worthwhile things you can do.

The terrible death of 4-year-old Summer Phelps reminds us why it’s critical to keep an eye on every child on your block or in your apartment complex. When you have serious concerns about a boy’s or girl’s well-being, call 911. Police and Child Protective Services can’t help if you don’t call.

When you see a belligerent or stressed-out parent in the grocery store, take a deep breath, dig up your courage and speak up. Depending on the circumstances, you might say, “It looks like you’re really under stress here.” By validating the parent and the worth of the child, you can urge the family to call 211, a new phone line for social service resources. Or you may just need to say: “That’s not OK. This needs to stop.”

This newspaper has developed a call to action, encouraging all residents to promise to take a step that will make a positive difference in the lives of this region’s children.

The list of possibilities is long. Here are examples: Volunteer to serve at a community agency such as the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery, which offers respite care for distressed young parents. Help a friend, neighbor or relative by offering to take care of their children so the parents can rest or spend time together. Buy a Washington heirloom birth certificate or a Keep Kids Safe license plate, which benefit the Children’s Trust Fund and its child abuse prevention efforts.

The possibilities go on and on. If thousands of people take these actions, the energy they generate will be irrepressible – just like a healthy child’s pinwheel-spinning, life-affirming sense of play.