Tail End of Summer Teaches Children Safety While Having Fun
RALEIGH, N.C. (July 27, 2009) – WakeMed Health & Hospitals Trauma Center’s Injury Prevention Program and Safe Kids Wake County are teaming up to teach children fire, water, pedestrian, playground and motor vehicle safety. The Tail End of Summer event is being held at Koka Booth Amphitheater in Cary on Thursday, August 13 at 7 pm.
At the event, children will learn the value of practicing proper safety through fun and interactive games and activities from seatbelt fit tests to tips on calling 911. They’ll even have a chance to meet Twinkle, the WakeMed Children’s mascot, Sparky the Fire Dog and other safety characters.
“WakeMed is Wake County’s only Level 1 Trauma center and is also home to the area’s only dedicated children’s emergency department, so we as an organization are uniquely qualified to offer health and safety tips to the children in our community. This event will give families the opportunity to reinforce the value of safety, all through fun interaction and play,” said Sylvia Scholl, director of WakeMed’s Trauma program.
According to Safe Kids USA, by the end of this summer, more than 2,000 children will die from preventable injuries. Additionally, children ages 14 and under will be rushed to emergency departments nearly 3 million times due to serious injuries resulting from motor vehicle crashes, drowning, bike accidents, pedestrian incidents, falls and other common hazards.
Immediately following the safety event at sundown, Koka Booth’s summer movie series, Movies By Moonlight will begin with a showing of children’s film Tale of Desperaux. Movies By Moonlight tickets are $3 for adults and children ages 12 and under are free. For each ticket sold, $.75 is donated to the Just for Kids Kampaign, a $20 million campaign to fund construction of Wake County’s first Children’s Hospital currently under construction on the WakeMed Raleigh Campus.
Movies By Moonlight is weather dependent and may be canceled due to inclement weather. Movie-goers are encouraged to call 919-462-2025 or visit boothamphitheatre.com to learn more about show times.
About WakeMed Health & Hospitals
WakeMed Health & Hospitals, one of the first hospital systems in the country, is a private, not-for-profit health care organization based in Raleigh, N.C. The 804-bed system comprises a network of health care facilities throughout Wake and Johnston Counties, including: a Level I Trauma Center and tertiary referral hospital and rehabilitation hospital in Raleigh, a community hospital in Cary, comprehensive outpatient centers and freestanding emergency departments in North Raleigh and Apex, seven outpatient rehabilitation sites, two skilled-nursing and outpatient facilities, a 100+-physician multispecialty practice, and home health services. The system includes accredited Chest Pain Centers and Joint Commission-certified Stroke Center. Throughout the system, there are an additional 66 beds under construction and 41 beds recently approved by the state. WakeMed also provides management services for Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital in Dunn, NC. Centers of excellence include cardiac and vascular care, women’s and children’s services, physical rehab, emergency and trauma, orthopaedics, neurosciences, home care and numerous wellness and community outreach programs. WakeMed’s team of 7,000 nurses, technologists and medical support staff and more than 1,000 affiliated physicians serve the residents of North Carolina using the most advanced technologies and facilities to ensure the finest in health care.
About Safe Kids Wake County
Safe Kids Wake County is the local division of Safe Kids USA. It is composed of Wake County organizations, businesses and individuals interested in childhood safety. Coalition members include representatives from law enforcement and first responders, health care professionals, educators, policy makers, parents and kids. WakeMed is the lead organization helping Safe Kids Wake County fulfill their mission to reduce preventable injuries and death in Wake County children ages 14 and under. Those interested in joining Safe Kids Wake County can contact Siobhan Davis, Injury Prevention Representative with WakeMed’s Injury Prevention program at 919-350-8364 or visit www.wakemed.org.
