ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — In observance of Child Abuse Awareness Month, families and advocates will gather Thursday evening to honor the life of Madeline Soto.

The teenager was killed last year, and her body was found in a rural part of Osceola County, days after she didn't show up for school.

What You Need To Know

  • A local mother is rallying the community, asking them to gather in honor of the Second Annual Every Child Should be Protected 5k

  • The run also helps to raise funds that are donated to the RISE Community Solutions organization, helping support children who experience abuse

  • The Every Child Should be Protected 5k run/walk event is from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

For the second year in a row, the 5k will help to raise awareness and funds to support children dealing with abuse. According to a press release, a mother of three, Scottie Gallegos, organized this event.

The event is partnering with RISE Community Solutions to ensure all the proceeds go toward child abuse prevention efforts. RISE, which operates the Osceola County Children’s Advocacy Center, helps to provide resources to child abuse victims while making them aware of how prevalent child abuse is.

The event honors the life of 13-year-old Soto. The teen never showed up to her Orange County middle school on the morning of Feb. 26, 2024. Days later, her body was found in a rural part of Osceola County.

Stephan Sterns is accused of killing her and is awaiting trial. He was the boyfriend of Soto’s mother.

According to FLHealthcharts.gov, Orange County saw 345 per 100,000 children experienced child abuse between the ages of 5 to 11 years old during 2023. That was a slight increase compared to the 325 per 100,000 children in 2022.

In Osceola County, there was a significant decrease within that same period of time as 197 children per 100,000 experienced abuse in 2023 versus the 256 children in 2022.

This 5k run/walk will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the area of Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company, which is located at 1300 Alden Road in Orlando.