Child safety advocates, parents pushing strollers and supporters joined together to advocate for child safety at Wyatt’s Walk Saturday in Mineral Point.
“I can’t express enough the gratitude that I have for this community to give us the opportunity to continue Wyatt’s legacy,” Kayla Hamlin said.
Sometimes people hesitate to report suspected child abuse, but people cannot stay silent, said Hamlin, who lost her four-month-old son in 2022. Wyatt’s caregiver is serving a prison sentence for neglecting a child resulting in death.
Hamlin founded Wyatt’s Warriors to prevent other families and communities from suffering such a loss and started the walk last year as a child abuse awareness and prevention event.
“Child abuse does not always look dramatic,” Hamlin said. “Sometimes it’s quiet. Sometimes it’s behind closed doors. If something feels wrong, speak up. If a child seems afraid, pay attention. Let’s walk with purpose, with love and the courage to speak up.”
Child abuse shatters trust, leaves physical and emotional injuries for those who survive, and an open wound that never heals for families that lose children, speakers said. It can happen anywhere.
The Iowa County Fairgrounds track was lined with blue pinwheels, a national symbol for child abuse prevention, and 14 stations telling the stories of child abuse victims and survivors.
It’s not just showing up for a walk, it’s keeping a “commitment that their stories will never fade,” she said. “I ask that you take your time. You’re going to see how inconsistent sentencing is.”
The event was “much bigger” than last year, Hamlin said. “Our silent auction tripled” to 120 items.
The day with family entertainment, balloons, bubbles and cotton candy was meant to encourage conversations, she said.
Dorinda Segebrecht’s family led the walk, which coincided with her birthday, as part of a new tradition recognizing community hero families. The Dodgeville woman died in July 2025 after being stabbed in her home. The man accused of killing her has been found not competent to stand trial.