Special Events Page

 


 


NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   

 

DATE:            February 8, 2010

 

CONTACT:   Laura F. Richardson, Injury Prevention Coordinator, Safe Kids Larimer Co.

(970) 495-7504

 

Captain Rob Marone, Colorado State Patrol

(970) 224-3027

 

SUBJECT:   Keeping Kids Safe on Colorado Roadways:  ‘Get Dumped on Valentine’s Day’

 

 

Safe Kids Urges Parents to Protect Their Little Loved Ones for Valentine’s Day

Coalition Dumps Old, Unsafe Car Seats

 

FORT COLLINS, CO – This Valentine’s Day, Safe Kids Larimer County wants parents and care givers to show how much they love their little ones by protecting them while traveling in motor vehicles. 

 

In partnership with the Colorado State Patrol, Safe Kids and other local public safety agencies are hosting a special “get dumped” event on Friday, February 12th at 10:00 a.m.   Parents and care givers with unsafe, expired or defective child safety car seats are invited to bring them to the Colorado State Patrol Office, 3832 S. I-25 Fort Collins, and add them to the “dump pile” anytime from today until 10:00 a.m. on February 12th.  The Colorado Children’s Automobile Safety Association (CCASA) is providing car seat recycling services for the event.   In addition, Safe Kids and CCASA will be collecting old cell phones for recycle, as a fundraiser to purchase new car seats for needy families in our community.   

 

Individuals may also call the Safe Kids office at 970.495.7504 or visit www.safekidslcc.org  for a listing of resources in Larimer County to have their existing car seat professionally inspected to determine whether or not it is safe to use and to ensure it is installed properly in the vehicle.

 

More than 30 unsafe seats will be dumped to illustrate that some seats pose a serious safety hazard for small children and infants.  Many of the seats have been recalled, have missing parts, have been in a crash, or are too old.  These particular seats have been collected at car seat check-ups and from the community at large throughout last year.

 

Captain Rob Marone of the Colorado State Patrol says, "We are destroying these seats to make sure that they will never be used again. Many times parents are not aware of the dangers of car seats that have been purchased secondhand, are too old or have been given to them by a friend.  In a crash, a child restrained incorrectly or who is placed in an unsafe seat is 3 ˝ times more likely to be seriously injured than a child who is properly restrained in a safe seat.

 

Riding unrestrained is the greatest risk for death and injury among child occupants of motor vehicles.  In Larimer County, motor vehicle crashes are the second leading cause of trauma hospitalizations for children ages birth to 14 years old.  When used correctly, child safety seats and safety belts are extremely effective and can reduce the risk of death by up to 71%.

 

For more information, please call Safe Kids Larimer County at 970-495-7504.

 

Safe Kids Larimer County, led by Poudre Valley Health System, is part of Safe Kids Worldwide Campaign, the first and only worldwide organization dedicated solely to the prevention of accidental injury – the number one killer of children ages 14 and younger.  There are more than 450 Coalitions around the world.  

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FACT SHEET

 

 

Not sure if your child’s car seat needs to be dumped?  Safe Kids recommends the following guidelines when considering a second hand seat.

 

Do not use a car seat that:

· Is too old. Look on the label for the date it was made. If it is more than 6 years old, it should not be used. Many manufacturers recommend that seats only be used for 5-6 years. Check with the manufacturer to find out when the company recommends getting a new seat.

· Was in a crash. It may have been weakened and should not be used, even if it looks fine. Do not use a seat if you do not know its full history.

· Does not have a label with the date of manufacture and model number. Without these, you cannot check on recalls or determine the age of the seat.

· Does not come with instructions. You need to know how to use the car seat. Do not rely on the former owner's directions. Get a copy of the instruction manual from the manufacturer before you use the seat.

· Has any cracks in the frame of the seat.

· Is missing parts. Used seats often come without important parts. Check with the manufacturer to make sure you can get the right parts.

 

Has the car seat been recalled?

You can find out by calling the manufacturer or the Auto Safety Hot Line at 888/DASH-2-DOT (888/327-4236), from 8 am to 10 pm ET, Monday through Friday. This information is also available online at www.safekids.org or http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/

 

If the seat has been recalled, be sure to follow instructions to fix it or get the necessary parts. You also may get a registration card for future recall notices from the hot line.

 

Please join us in making Larimer County a safer place for children by bringing your unsafe car seat to the Colorado State Patrol to be dumped!


Celebrate Colorado Children’s Day - March 3rd

The City of Loveland, with the help of the Thompson School District, will celebrate the 7th annual Colorado Children’s Day on March 3, 2010 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. with great activities for kids at designated City facilities. Loveland youngsters will be able to enjoy a day of fun and activities dedicated entirely to them.
 Last year, more than 3,000 children and their parents enjoyed the fun at the Rialto Theater, Fire Station #1, Library, Museum/Gallery and Chilson Recreation Center. Activities planned for this year include:
·         ‘Touch- a- Truck’- fire engines, trash trucks, buses and more at Fire Station #1 (410 E. 5th St.).
·         Free cartoons and popcorn at the Rialto Theater (228 E. 4th St.).
·         Dr. Seuss story time starting on the hour and school bus safety puppet show starting on the half hour at the Loveland Public Library (300 N. Adams St.).
·         Storm water education puppet show with H20 Jo starting on the hour and walk-to-school skit with Smart T. Jr. starting on the half hour at the Museum/Gallery (503 N. Lincoln Ave.).
·         Autographs from Miss Loveland Valentine at the Museum/Gallery (503 N. Lincoln Ave.).
·         Free crafts, balloon-tying, dance/pottery demos at the Chilson Recreation Center (700 E 4th St.).
·         Child admitted free with paying adult at the Chilson Recreation Center after 1 pm (700 E 4th St.).
·         Justice Joe, Safety Sam and other character meet-n-greets at Fire Station #1.
·         Explore the Fire Safety Trailer at Fire Station #1.  
·         Vendor and sponsor booths and activities at Fire Station #1.
·         Fishing pole casting lessons with Loveland Fishing Club at Foote Lagoon.
·         Win prizes from Monkey Moe’s Playhouse and Chick-fil-A by collecting stamps on a Children’s Day passport.
 Vendors for the 2010 Loveland Colorado Children's Day event will include: Colorado Division of Wildlife/Loveland Fishing Club, Colorado Bright Beginnings, Thompson School District, Safe Kids of Larimer County, PVHS Healthy Kids Club, Larimer County Solid Waste- Garbage Garage, PVHS Healthy Hearts Club, United Way of Larimer County Volunteer Office, YMCA of the Rockies, Larimer County Humane Society, Early Childhood Council of Larimer County, Boy Scouts of America and Lutheran Family Services. 
 Sponsors for the 2010 Loveland Colorado Children's Day event include: City of Loveland, Thompson School District, Tri-102, Monkey Moe’s Playhouse, Chick-fil-A, Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald, Northern Colorado Kids.Com and Farmer’s Insurance Group.
 The City of Loveland, with the help of the Thompson School District, has been celebrating Colorado Children’s Day since 2002. Children’s Day is the result of the long-time dream of Loveland resident Annie Hall. In March 2001 Colorado Senator Stan Matsunaka sponsored Senate Joint Resolution 01-015 which created a COLORADO CHILDREN’S DAY to be celebrated each year on the first Wednesday in March. The resolution was unanimously passed by the Colorado legislature. Through Ms. Hall’s efforts, the day is now celebrated in other cities in Colorado. Ms. Hall is working to make Children’s Day a nationally recognized holiday. For more information on the 2010 event, please call 970-962-2563 or 2562 or visit cityofloveland.org.

Click on image below to see the event poster.