Awareness

Every child deserves to be protected from all forms of violence and to grow up in a safe and nurturing home.

Child abuse is any behaviour that harms a child (under the age of 18). It can take many forms, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse, as well as neglect and exploitation. Everyone in the community, including all levels of government, plays a role in protecting children. Public awareness is part of an overall approach to preventing child abuse and neglect.

At the Miles for Smiles Foundation we raise awareness about the important role that individuals and communities play in supporting vulnerable children, youth, and families throughout the province.

We began advocating for survivors in 2011 with the implementation of the province’s first peer support group for adult survivors of child abuse. Two years later Miles for Smiles Foundation was registered as a non- profit organization with a focus on support, awareness and prevention of child abuse.

Watch us Grow

We have raised awareness provincially, as well as internationally. Following is a list of some of our endeavors:

2011

  • We opened the province’s first chapter of ASCA – Adult Survivors of Child Abuse – a peer support group for survivors of all forms of child abuse, in St. John’s, NL.  (June 2011)

2013

  • The first Miles for Smiles child abuse awareness walk was held at Bowring Park in St. John’s on April 21st and had over 400 participants.
  • The City of St. John’s proclaimed April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.

2013 – 2019

  • Frontline Action and Miles for Smiles developed a fundraising partnership to present a Halloween Haunted House during the month of October.

2014

  • Miles for Smiles partnered with Survivors Supporting Survivors to bring the legendary Johnny Bower to Newfoundland and Labrador for a weekend fundraising event.
  • Local businesses, organizations and residents took part in the first Miles for Smiles Wear Blue Day to support child abuse awareness.

2015

  • Miles for Smiles founder, Bev Moore Davis, received training for Child Sexual Abuse Prevention in Tucson, Arizona, and now educates other adults by facilitating workshops throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
  • Miles for Smiles partnered with Men of Hope to bring Graham Wardle, from CBC’s Heartland, to St. John’s for the third annual Miles for Smiles walk in Bowring Park.
  • The 2016 graduating class of Memorial University Social Workers partnered with Miles for Smiles to introduce the first Blue Ribbon Campaign at Confederation Building.
  • Bev Moore Davis (NL) and Andy Bhatti (BC) biked 903 kms from Port de Basques to St. John’s to raise funds for Thrive CYN (St. John’s, NL) and Sophie’s Place (Surrey, BC).
  • Shannon Tweed Simmons and her sister Sara Simmons traveled to St. John’s to participate in a Miles for Smiles fundraising event.

2016

  • Miles For Smiles Foundation was instrumental in having April proclaimed Child Abuse Prevention Month in St. John’s, NL; Halifax, NS; Fredericton, NB; Victoria, BC; Regina, Saskatchewan; St. Alberts, Alberta; Yellowknife and Iqaluit.
  • While working with government officials, April was proclaimed Child Abuse Prevention Month in Newfoundland and Labrador for the first time.

2017

  • While celebrating the 5th annual awareness walks in St. John’s, other Miles for Smiles walks were held in Marystown, Gander, Georgetown – Marysvale, Halifax, NS and Augusta, Maine.

2018

  • Bev Moore Davis partnered with the RNC police chief, Joe Boland, several police officers, and local pediatricians to advocate for a body safety educational program for schools in Newfoundland and Labrador.

2020

  • As COVID-19 limited social gatherings, members of the Miles for Smiles Foundation brought joy to children by bringing the Easter Bunny to designated streets from South River to Torbay, and many stops in between.

2021

  • ​In December, the Department of Education announced it would begin a pilot project to start a body safety education program in Newfoundland and Labrador. The program, Kids in the Know, deals with child abuse, sexual exploitation, cyber-bullying, and the overall wellness of children.

2022

  • Easter Bunny was back on the streets of St. John’s, Paradise, and Conception Bay South, visiting children and local businesses.
  • Miles for Smiles Foundation moved its awareness campaign and strategies from April to October in an attempt to consolidate efforts with other Canadian provinces and increase national coverage.

2023

  • The Honourable Krista Lynn Howell, Minister of Education, announced that Kids in the Know, a body safety program for kids, will be available in all K-9 classrooms in Newfoundland and Labrador by September 2025. Kids in the Know is the Canadian Centre for Child Protection’s national safety education program. Bev Moore Davis, from Miles for Smile Foundation, was on hand for the announcement and to accompany Minister Howell in answering questions from the media.