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1000 SW Jackson Coordinator: Executive Committee: Dennis Cooley, MD John Drees Vanda Easley Jim Keating Elena Nuss Cindy Samuelson |
Kansas SAFE KIDS Presents 2004 AwardsThe Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition today honored five organizations and individuals who have helped to make more Kansas kids SAFE KIDS during 2004. " This is a great opportunity to recognize the individuals and organizations in our state that have contributed to the mission of Kansas SAFE KIDS - preventing the leading killer of our children - unintentional injury," said Jan Stegelman, Coordinator, Kansas SAFE KIDS. The Service Recognition Award is given to a member organization or individual who has made a significant contribution to the mission and goals of the Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition. The Service Recognition Award was presented to Sally Finney , prior member representative from the Kansas Public Health Association. Finney provided leadership to the Coalition through service of two two-year terms on the Executive Board. She also provided leadership in the area of child firearm access, and legislative work. In addition, she speaks Spanish fluently and has been a valuable asset as we target the Hispanic community in our state. Local Coalition/Chapter of the Year is awarded to a local Coalition or local chapter of the Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition that has excelled in bringing together varied and diverse members of the community to actively participate in SAFE KIDS activities. The award this year was presented to a local Chapter with a lot of innovative ideas, spirit and energy, the Pottawatomie/Wabaunsee County SAFE KIDS Chapter . During the past year, this chapter expanded their service area to include Wabaunsee County. Through effective collaboration with partners in both counties they have been active in holding regularly scheduled CPS events. They also have participated in other safety fairs, displays, and presentations encompassing additional target areas to reduce injury to children. The chapter actively pursues grants to help fund their injury prevention programs. They have also created innovative programs to impact their community. One such example involves volunteers who went around to garage sales and provided coupons for McDonalds Happy Meals if the family would give them their used car seat in return rather than re-sell it. Through a recent smoke detector distribution program, 232 smoke alarms have been distributed locally this year. Their dedication to the mission of SAFE KIDS, and their tireless efforts make them a model SAFE KIDS chapter. Outstanding Achievement in Child Safety is given to any organization, community or individual in Kansas who has demonstrate a strong dedication and commitment to unintentional childhood injury prevention by implementing one or more innovative injury prevention programs in at least one priority risk area. The award was presented to Brenda Gibson of Wichita . Gibson coordinates SAFE KIDS BUCKLE UP events for the Wichita Coalition, recruiting Technicians and other volunteers and garnering support from GM dealerships. In 2000, she initiated a partnership with her employer, the Wichita Clinic, to sponsor car seat checks at six Clinic locations each year. Over the past four years, the Wichita Area SAFE KIDS Coalition has checked more than 3,800 car seats at 60 check events. Brenda has attended at least 50 of these check-up events, and personally checked more than 500 seats. As a member of the Haysville Optimist Club, she became interested in the Optimists' "ABC: Always Buckle Children" campaign and has lead the Wichita Area Coalition in partnering with Optimist Clubs throughout the state to host SAFE KIDS Buckle Up events. (Events are held annually in Ark City, Dodge City, Great Bend, Haysville and Park City in conjunction with Optimist Clubs.) She has made presentations at State and Regional Optimist meetings to promote child passenger safety and partnerships with SAFE KIDS. The Outstanding Coalition Organization Award is awarded to a member organization whose policies and activities make a significant contribution to the mission and goals of the Coalition. The Outstanding Coalition Organization Award for 2004 was given to an organization that has demonstrated a high level of commitment to the Coalition and to the children of Kansas in the area of child passenger safety, the Kansas Safety Belt Education Office, located in Lawrence . They work to coordinate with Kansas SAFE KIDS on Check-up Van and Child Passenger Safety activities including 4-day trainings and check up events throughout the state. The agency developed and enthusiastically sponsors the Booster Rooster program. Staff of this organization is certified Child Passenger Safety (CPS) technicians and volunteer much time to personally check seats at many of the events. The Outstanding Coalition Member Award is the highest award given by the Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition and is presented for outstanding service to the Coalition and to Kansas children in the interest of childhood injury prevention by an individual member of the Coalition. The award was given this year to an individual who has demonstrated her dedication not only to Kansas SAFE KIDS but also to the children of Kansas City, Phyllis Larimore of Children's Mercy Hospital . Her commitment over the last two years led to the development of the Metro KC Coalition. She is a certified CPS technician, instructor, and Special Needs CPS instructor. She provides much of the special needs child seat training in our state and serves as a resource to Kansas SAFE KIDS in the area of specials needs child seats. She coordinated a child safety seat distribution in the Metro KC area that resulted in the donation, distribution, and installation of over 500 car seats to children in need. For more information about Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition, visit www.kansassafekids.org. Kansas SAFE KIDS, Inc. is a nonprofit Coalition of 67 statewide organizations and businesses dedicated to preventing unintentional injuries to Kansas children ages 0-14. Local coalitions and chapters are located in Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Clay, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Ford, Franklin, Geary, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Marion, Montgomery, Nemaha, Osage, Pottawatomie, Republic, Rice, Saline, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, and Woodson Counties, as well as Chanute, Leavenworth, Manhattan, Norton, Pittsburg, Wichita and the Metro Kansas City Area. Kansas SAFE KIDS is part of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, the first and only national nonprofit organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional childhood injury -- the number one killer of children ages 14 and under.
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