Chatham-Kent Children’s Safety Village kicks off new campaign

The board, staff and volunteers of the Chatham-Kent Children’s Safety Village are proud to announce another successful Valentine Ball at the Historic Chatham Armoury Saturday, February 12, 2011 raising $7,000.

The Chatham-Kent Children’s Safety Village and partner’s in safety train local children, saving children’s lives, one child at a time.

At the Valentine Ball, The Chatham-Kent Children’s Safety Village kicked off a new Campaign: “Sponsor A Child”.

This campaign will run throughout the year, asking Chatham-Kent to sponsor a child for $75. Fifty-three local children were sponsored from Saturday night.

Special guest speaker, Marilyn Adams; founder and spokesperson from Farm Safety 4 Just Kids shared her heart wrenching story of the loss of their son; Keith on their family farm. This message was delivered in hopes of saving other families from sharing the same pain and loss as they are, driving home the importance of safety education and training for the children in our communities.

Farm safety is only one of the nine programs offered to local students at the Chatham-Kent Children’s Safety Village. The evening was shared with hosts and core partners from Chatham-Kent Police Service, Chatham-Kent Fire Department and Chatham-Kent Emergency Services. Partners from Chatham-Kent Energy and the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority were also in attendance.

The cost to Canadian tax payers for injuries in 2004 was estimated at $19.8 billion, which includes the direct costs of health care as well as the indirect costs related to reduced productivity due to hospitalization, disability and premature death.

Canada -10 years in review: The results show that the overall death rates for childhood injury have dropped by 37% and hospitalization rates by 34%.

Despite the promising drop in injury rates, injury remains responsible for more deaths to Canadian children age 1 to 14 than any other cause. Approximately 2 Canadian children die everyday and another 70 that are hospitalized everyday from preventable farm related injuries.

The Chatham-Kent Children’s Safety Village is the place for local children to learn valuable life saving skills from safety professionals through a “Tell me, Show me, and Involve me” interactive safety training in the Union Gas Children’s Learning Centre.

A miniature village with replicas of local businesses and organizations is found outside the learning centre boasting of regulation sized sidewalks, streets and railway crossing for children to practise real life situations, safely. It’s truly a must see; visit us in the C.M. Wilson Conservation Area to see how money raised is saving lives.

The event held this past Saturday held lots of enthusiasm from guests adorning their finest as they celebrated a Valentine theme while raising much needed funds for this local children’s charity. The money raised will allow The Chatham-Kent Children’s Safety Village to provide programs, training and research for life saving skills targeting local children most at risk for death, injury and disability, but more money is needed, please help.

The Board and staff would like to thank our hosts from Chatham-Kent Police Service, Chatham-Kent Fire Department and Sun Parlour Emergency Services of Chatham-Kent. We appreciate the support from all who attended and recognize key sponsors for the event, because of you; we continue to save the lives of children:

• Kent Cattleman’s Association
• Vic’s No Frills, Wallaceburg
• The New 99.1 – Five Amigos Broadcasting
• Chatham-Kent Construction Products
• Union Gas
• CKSY, CFCO, The Rock – Blackburn Radio
• Unigasco Credit Union
• Express Copies & Printing
• The Chatham Daily News
• Maddock Myers Jewellers
• Chef Dimitar
• Tim Hortons
• C-K Children’s Safety Village Board of Directors
• Pro Tackle Wallaceburg

Submitted by: The Chatham-Kent Children’s Safety Village