Safe Kids Day 2016
This weekend families around the United States celebrated Safe Kids Day, an annual event put on by Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit organization working to protect kids from preventable injuries. While the national celebration was held at Smashbox Studio in Culver City, California, over 200 Safe Kids Day events were also held all across the country. Preventable injuries are the leading cause of death to children in the U.S, but Safe Kids Worldwide believes that with education and forethought, most of these injuries are preventable. The event raises safety awareness and supports the life-saving programs of Safe Kids Worldwide.
Hundreds of people attended event in Culver City including many artists, actors and sports figures, including Malin Akerman, Tom Arnold, and Ashley Groussman. The family event included fun with zoologist Jack Hanna and his baby animals, games with Clifford the Big Red Dog, a giant fire truck slide, face painting, and dancing.
"Do you have a fire escape plan and have you practiced it like kids do at school? Are your medicines out of reach? Usually, parents have these items on their Things-to-Do list, they just find it hard to make it a priority. Safe Kids Day is a perfect opportunity to make it happen," said Kate Carr, president and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide in a press release. "We want every kid to be a safe kid."
One simple way families can actively increase safety is making a My High 5 checklist. My High 5 is a checklist providing the top 5 safety tips according to location (home, road, play) and age (babies, little kids, big kids, pre-teens/teens). Creating a My High 5 list is a quick and simple task that makes a big difference.
Safety tips for children on the road include checking if your car seat is installed correctly, teaching your child bike safety, and taking a pledge against phones, headphones and other devices while crossing the street. Safe Kids day is also a great opportunity to teach older children close to driving age about the dangers of distracted driving and the overall importance of responsible driving. According to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S teens.
Besides donating, participating in local Safe Kids events and workshops, and implementing a My High 5 checklist, supporters can get involved by sharing this important information with their friends and family. So far, Safe Kids Worldwide have raised 1.2 million dollars towards their overall goal of 1.3 million in support of Safe Kids Day 2016.
