By Ethan Forman
Eagle-Tribune Writer

With more than 6,200 cases of child neglect reported in the Merrimack Valley in 1997, organizers of the Blue-Ribbon Campaign hope to raise $50,000 to prevent any further mistreatment of youngsters.

Yesterday, community leaders kicked-off the campaign to support the Family Support Center at 350 Essex St. in Lawrence, during a breakfast at the Wyndham Hotel in Andover.   The campaign culminates on April 28 during National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

The Family Support Center matches volunteers with parents whose children are at risk of neglect or abuse. The program's volunteers teach parents how to resolve conflicts nonviolently, and they teach parenting skills.

Today, fund-raising tollbooths in Methuen, Lawrence and Salem N.H. will be open from between 10 a.m. to noon to raise money for the center, said the program's director, Lorraine Malignaggi.  The center sponsored yesterday's breakfast, which netted $1,000 from Methuen Mayor Sharon M. Pollard and residents from her city, along with $500 from the Lawrence Lady Elks.

On hand was Dr. Howard Koh, the commissioner of the Department of Public Health, who pledged his support for the campaign, of which The Eagle-Tribune is a sponsor.

"So this whole effort that you are today celebrating...is something that is very important to public health.  It's very important to the Merrimack Valley, its very important to children, and its very important to me, as commissioner," said Dr. Koh, an Andover resident.

The campaign is being spearheaded by the Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, Inc. in partnership with the Exchange Clubs of the Merrimack Valley.  Greater Lawrence Community Action Council Inc. runs the Family Support Center.

Philip F. Laverriere, the Executive Director/CEO of the Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, Inc. introduced Dr. Koh to officials and community leaders wore blue ribbons as a symbol of preventing child abuse.

Those attending included state Rep. David M. Torrisi, D-North Andover, state Sen, Susan C. Tucker, D-Andover, state Rep. Jose L. Santiago, D-Lawrence, Lawrence Mayor Patricia A. Dowling and Lawrence City Councilor Marie G. Gosselin, among others.

The mission of the Family Support Center is "fostering a feeling of self-sufficiency and empowerment to families," to prevent child abuse from happening, Ms. Malignaggi said.

Dr. Koh, who praised the efforts of the Family Support Center, said preventing child abuse was the best medicine.

Before Dr. Koh spoke, John Ball, the chairman of the advisory board for the Family Support Center, outlined the fund-raising efforts of the Merrimack Valley Exchange Clubs of Lawrence, Methuen, Haverhill, Salem, N.H., and Newburyport. He expected the clubs to exceed the $50,000 goal.

At one point, Ms. Malignaggi showed a video she narrated of a mother with two children.

"Pay close attention to the toddler... he was so out of control, it was difficult to carry on a conversation in his presence.  Now, he has made such a tremendous change it is phenomenal," she said.