Community partners to hold child safety event

Tri-Development Center/Safe Kids of Aiken and its community partners are joining hands this weekend for a "Super Safe Saturday."

The event, aimed at protecting the lives of children in the community as they travel and play will take place at the H. Odell Weeks Activities Center on Whiskey Road from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday.

The purpose of the event, said Jones T. Bowen, Tri-Development director, is to provide an annual free, informative and interactive "kid friendly" event designed to promote safety and a healthy lifestyle.

The event was not scheduled as a result of a fatal crash last Friday that claimed the life of an 8-year-old girl, but local officials said the death hammers home the dangers children face in a vehicle.

The program will also allow officials to educate the community about the most vulnerable children on all aspects of safety and injury prevention "at home," "at play" and "on the way" in fun and interactive ways, said Bowen.

"We believe we can make an impact in the lives of children in Aiken County by helping to keep them injury free," he said.

The organizations involved include Tri-Development Center/Safe Kids, Aiken Public Safety, Aiken City Parks and Recreation and Tourism, Aiken County Sheriff's Office, Aiken County Emergency Medical Services, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, Savannah River Remediation, WSI-SRS Team, Aiken/Barnwell Head Start, United Way of Aiken, United Way of Greenville, South Carolina Highway Patrol, Palmetto Pediatrics, Aiken Regional Medical Centers, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bouncy Bratz, Quest Zone, Aiken Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Services, United States Army and the United States Navy.

Bowen released statistics that show motor vehicle crashes are the No. 1 cause of death of children between 2 and 14 and the leading cause of injury-related death for children younger than 2.

Children sustain more than 275,000 nonfatal bicycle injuries each year.

Child safety seats and safety belts, when installed and used properly save more than 75 percent of children involved in a motor vehicle crash.

Contact Karen Daily at kdaily@aikenstandard.com.