Local Coalition Celebrates Safe Kids Week on Saturday, May 3 with ‘Gear Up for Safety!’ April 28, 2008 In celebration of National Safe Kids Week recognized from April 26 to May 4, Safe Kids Catawba County Coalition will host an interactive safety fair on Saturday, May 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in front of the Health First Center at Valley Hills Mall, Hickory. With a theme of “Gear Up For Safety!” the celebration will offer fun ways for families to learn that close supervision, proper safety devices and other simple prevention measures help children avoid injury. The fair will include safety games, information, door prizes, and displays by area agencies involved in the Safe Kids Catawba County coalition. The event, free and designed for families and children of all ages, includes activities aimed toward kids ages 10 to 13. The games cover five key areas for youth safety: motor vehicle safety, pedestrian safety, wheeled sports safety, fire safety, and water safety. Each area has its own challenge, including races and other interactive activities. In addition, kids participate in pre- and post-game Safety Quizzes to determine how much they already know, along with what they learned. Each child who participates in the games receives a medal recognizing his/her safety awareness. “The more kids can be aware of preventing injuries, the more fun they can have doing their favorite summertime activities,” says Debbie Leger-Scott, Registered Nurse, Bachelor of Science Nursing, Critical Care Registered Nurse and CVMC’s Safe Kids Catawba County coordinator. “The safety fair’s activities will help teach and reinforce the common-sense risk prevention measures every child should know.” For more information about the safety fair and Safe Kids Week activities, call the Health First Center at 828/485-2300. The Safe Kids Catawba County Coalition is part of the Safe Kids Worldwide and Safe Kids North Carolina, the first and only national non-profit organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional childhood injury-the number one killer of children ages 14 and under. The Campaign is made up of more than 300 state and local Safe Kids coalitions in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Catawba Valley Medical Center is the lead agency for the Safe Kids Catawba County Coalition and employs Ms. Leger-Scott as the coalition’s coordinator. To learn more about Safe Kids or to schedule an appointment for child safety seat inspection, call her at 828-485-2300. Catawba Valley Medical Center is a not-for-profit, public healthcare system providing and promoting the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of the public in addition to serving as a center for health education, wellness services, preventative medicine and acute care. CVMC, recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Magnet facility, was recently named a Hospital of Choice by the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers.