SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – The annual Family Safety Fair, now in its fifth year, will be held Saturday, May 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Willamalane Bob Keefer Center, 250 S. 32nd St. in Springfield.
This free, popular, all-ages event offers more than 20 exhibitors, valuable giveaways and a fun, interactive way for the whole family to learn how to prevent accidents and injuries.
It is presented by Safe Kids West Oregon, a nonprofit coalition focused on keeping children safe, and sponsored by Northwest Community Credit Union, Oregon Family Magazine, PeaceHealth and Bi-Coastal Media.
“In a matter of just a few hours, parents and kids can soak in a lot of information and get connected to resources to learn more,” said Dr. Kimberly Ruscher and Dr. Angela Zallen, co-chairs of Safe Kids West Oregon. Dr. Ruscher is a pediatric surgeon and Dr. Zallen is a pediatric hospitalist at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend.
Here are some of the highlights of this year’s fair:
• Child car seat checks at the Car Seat Clinic
• Free bike helmets and fittings for the first 500 people at the Helmet Fitting Station
• Home safety kits for the first 100 families visiting Northwest Community Credit Union’s table. These kits include window locks, electric outlet covers, foam corners, straps to prevent furniture from tipping and a childproof medication bag.
• Prizes to the first 1,000 kids who complete and turn in their Safety Passports
Among the many important topics covered at the fair are safe sleep for infants, toy safety, bicycle safety, poison prevention, falls prevention, distracted driving awareness, ATV safety, teen suicide prevention, water safety, first aid and emergency preparedness.
Also the Springfield Police Department will supervise a collection site for the public to dispose of any unneeded medication.
Outside on the lawn, there will be tours of a LifeFlight helicopter, a Coast Guard boat, a special ambulance for transporting newborns and other emergency vehicles.
“We are so grateful to our sponsors who make this event possible,” Drs. Ruscher and Zallen said. “The event itself is fun for the whole family and participants leave with information and safety equipment that can prevent injuries and save lives.”
Media interview availability: Drs. Ruscher and Zallen will be available for interviews 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
About PeaceHealth: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a not-for-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has approximately 16,000 caregivers, a group practice with more than 900 providers and 10 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.
About Safe Kids West Oregon: Safe Kids is a diverse coalition of partners making a difference in child safety in our communities. Our priorities include safe child transportation in/on motorized vehicles, with a focus on child passenger safety; safe bicycling and sports participation, with an emphasis on head injury reduction; home hazard mitigation, with an emphasis on fall prevention, and teen driving safety.
