Greenwich Red Cross will offer Safety Town from June 7 - 11 and June 14 -18. Each weeklong half-day session is a comprehensive safety education program introducing awareness and prevention skills for youngsters entering a Greenwich kindergarten program in Fall 2010. Originally brought to Greenwich by the Junior League of Greenwich, Safety Town is a program of the Greenwich Chapter of the American Red Cross and will be held at the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center in Old Greenwich. Registration will begin on Monday, February 1.
Topics covered in Safety Town include automobile, pedestrian, fire, bike, gun, animal, playground and water safety, along with information about medicines and poisons, traveling on trains and buses, stranger awareness and more. Under the guidance of classroom teachers, Greenwich police officers, fire fighters, EMS and other community helpers, children will learn and practice safe reactions and behaviors before experiencing these unfamiliar situations in real life. They will also tour an ambulance, fire truck and school bus.
Children will be taught in indoor classroom settings as well as on a specially designed kid-sized “Safety Town” layout. Each child is fitted with their own bike safety helmet that they use for the week and then take home to keep. They will ride pedal cars, walk and “shop” through the town complete with buildings, crosswalks, sidewalks, street markings and a railroad crossing learning appropriate safe behaviors each step of the way.
The daily lessons are followed up with take-home handouts and additional reference information for parents and caregivers. Morning sessions meet 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Afternoon sessions meet 12:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Last year more than 400 youngsters benefited from this exciting program. The fee for this weeklong program is $180 and financial aid is available.
Registration forms will be available on our website www.greenwichredcross.org or can be picked up at the Chapter beginning February 1. Completed registrations and payment can be mailed to or dropped off at the Greenwich Chapter at 99 Indian Field Road, Greenwich, CT 06830.
The Greenwich Chapter of the American Red Cross is grateful to our corporate and community partners: Nestlé Waters North America Inc., Junior League of Greenwich, Greenwich Police Department, Greenwich Fire Department, GEMS, Student Transportation of America and the Town of Greenwich for their invaluable support.
The Greenwich Chapter of the American Red Cross provides relief to victims of emergencies and disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. For further information about the programs and services offered by the Greenwich Chapter, please visit our website at www.greenwichredcross.org.
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission.