LEXINGTON, Ky. — Local groups came together in Lexington, to promote a fun, but safe summer.
June 21 was the longest day of the year and also the summer solstice, meaning summer is officially here.
Families celebrated the first day of summer at Douglass Park Wednesday evening at Safe Kids Day. Sherri Hannan is an RN at UK Health and also the coordinator of the event.
“Kids are out of school, so they have way more time on their hands and usually they are out there enjoying biking or swimming and all those fun things,” Hannan said.
Safe Kids Day is just that: a day sponsored by Safe Kids Fayette County, UK Health and other community partners to teach kids safety with fun, interactive booths. Topics covered include safely approaching dogs, water safety and safe biking.
“We have helmet use, protecting your brain and, of course, just learning the rules of the road,” Hannan said.
Hannan said many serious injuries and even tragedies can be prevented through education.
“Just making sure that kids hear these safety messages somewhere, that we reiterate what a parent is teaching or maybe what a parent hasn’t taught their child,” Hannan said.
The Lexington Fire Department also taking part bringing their fire safety trailer. It’s an interactive demonstration teaching kids what to do if their home catches fire.
“Anytime we can get out into the community, that’s what we want to do and engage with the community of all ages, taking the kids into the trailer to show them how to get out in case something happens and not be scared of us,” said firefighter Todd Houston.
Houston and other firefighters also promoted the fire department’s free smoke alarm installation program and free car seat installation.
“We have 24 stations here. Five of them are dedicated car seat technician stations, so if they need help getting their car seat installed, then they can call us. We can set up an appointment for them to get it installed properly,” Houston said.
Safe Kids Worldwide, the global nonprofit dedicated to preventing childhood injuries, says during the summer months, preventable injuries increase.
“Hopefully kids will be able to make smart choices, know what type of safety devices they need to use and use it correctly so it’ll work,” Hannan said.
This was the second year Safe Kids Day took place in Lexington.
The first day of summer is also Ask Day. Ask Day is a day for people to ask themselves if there is an unlocked firearm in their home.
Free gun locks were also handed out to parents, if they owned a gun, to promote gun safety.