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Victor Vieth, and all of the staff affiliated with the National Child Protection Training Center, are unsung heroes. Every day, they work at protecting children through training others — hoping their efforts might be amplified by teaching those who work with children better techniques to keep kids safe. A single center in Winona has a nationwide effect.
Vieth has been the visionary and the soul of the program. While we know it has taken the efforts of an entire staff, support from Winona State University and support from legislators like Rep. Tim Walz, Sens. Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar, it has been Vieth who has become a tireless advocate for children. It should also be noted that former Rep. Gil Gutknecht was also a big supporter of the center.
It is an honor for the center to be here in Winona, and we thank the folks at it for making it a one-of-a-kind place.
On Thursday, Walz invited Vieth to attend President George W. Bush’s State of the Union address in Washington, D.C., last night. Walz said he wanted Vieth to meet other congressional leaders and share with them the work he’s doing.
Vieth’s organization was the recipient of more than $2 million in federal funds that will help expand and keep the center doing the important and necessary work of training folks to protect children.
We congratulate Vieth on his invitation. We think it’s great that Vieth and his organization have been recognized and highlighted.
We hope that other leaders take the opportunity to look at the protection center and use it as a model to set up similar sites around the nation. After all, Vieth would be the first one to tell them the job before us is huge, and other sites like the center are needed to make sure no child is victimized, abducted or abused.
So many things can put a community on a map. We’re proud that one of the things that has put us “on the map” has been the center. We’re proud to be known as a place that values and is committed to protecting children.
The Winona Daily News editorial board also includes publisher Rusty Cunningham and online editor Jerome Christenson. To comment, call 453-3507 or send e-mail to letters@winonadailynews.com.
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