Wake County SAFE KIDS Coaches Children in Pedestrian Safety at the 2nd Annual "Walk This Way" Event
Wake County SAFE KIDS, the local chapter of a national organization dedicated to the prevention of unintentional childhood injuries, will join SAFE KIDS across the country to teach students safe pedestrian behaviors, including incorporating retroreflective materials on clothing and understanding and obeying traffic signs and crosswalks.
Last year more than 200 students from Wakefield Elementary participated in the “Walk this Way" event and this year even greater participation is expected. Fire engines, EMS vehicles, police cars and motorcycle units, sheriff patrol cars and the highway patrol will escort students from the Tournament Players Clubhouse to the school. In addition, EMS representatives and Raleigh police officers will present an assembly prior to the walk to discuss pedestrian safety and their role in the event of an accident. Since last year's walk, Raleigh Police Department has worked closely with the Wakefield Elementary School's Safety Committee to address the problems of speeding.
Pedestrian injury is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 5 to 14. In 1999 alone, more than 725 children ages 14 and under died from pedestrian injuries. And in 2000, nearly 44,600 children ages 14 and under were injured in pedestrian incidents.
The national SAFE KIDS campaign is the first and only national organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional childhood injuries. WakeMed, Wake County SAFE KIDS lead agency, is a private, 752-bed not-for-profit health care organization based in Raleigh. The WakeMed Children's Center includes the Pediatric Unit, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Children's Transport Team and North Carolina's only free-standing Children's Emergency Department.
Assemblies:
Friday, October 3, 2003 at Wakefield Elementary, 1:40-2:10 p.m., 2:20 -2:50 p.m. and 3:00-3:30 p.m.
Walks:
Wednesday, October 2, 2003 walk begins at Tournament Players Clubhouse
8:15 a.m. and ends at Wakefield Elementary at 8:45 a.m.
Wednesday, October 2, 2003 walk begins at Wakefield Elementary at 3:40 p.m. and ends at the Tournament Players Club
Rally:
Wednesday, October 2, 2003 9:25-9:40 a.m. at the flagpole at Wakefield Elementary following the walk
