By Lindsey Rowland
lrowland@wbcowqel.com
Twenty years ago, Bucyrus didn’t have any means by which to teach young kids how to be safe in day-to-day pedestrian traffic. But two years ago, Bucyrus student Sarah Lipscomb decided that that needed to change.
In an effort that began as a Girl Scout project, Lipscomb organized Safety Town, a week full of sessions for kids ages 4 to 6 to learn about all important aspects of safety.
According to Lipscomb, this year’s event has over 40 kids, all with addresses within the city, registered, a number which serves to outdo last year’s numbers in a big way. The ecstatic kids, once oriented by a group of dedicated volunteers, divided into groups to work through the different rotations, the highlight of which was “The Village”, which is a series of 10 buildings surrounded by roads, stop signs, and even a train crossing.
Each day of Safety Town has a different focus, and opening day on Monday shined the spotlight on the Bucyrus Police Department. Members of the police force guided the children through crosswalk etiquette, rules of the road, the safety booklet each participant received, and even introduced Donna the Police Dog.
The air was abuzz with a child’s excitement to be moving, interacting, and, ultimately, learning.
When asked how heading up such an endeavor affects her, Lipscomb simply stated that “It’s nice to know that we made a difference and helped them learn.”
Lipscomb wasn’t the only volunteer receiving the gratification that comes with helping, however. Twelve-year-old Micah Graves, also a Bucyrus student, was a part of the team after being asked if he was interested in helping and jumped at the opportunity.
“What made me come help,” Graves said, “was to make sure these kids are successful.”
Bucyrus Police Chief Dave Koepke will also be a presence during the entire week of safety town.
“The kids are learning safe steps for the very first time,” a beaming Koepke said, “…they’re better than some drivers on the road, which is something we’re really happy about. They learn so fast, and of course, we want them to be safe getting to and from school, getting to and from home, and years and years of safe pedestrian travel.”
The entire police force was behind Koepke in the desire to see Safety Town succeed. Among those officers present was Captain Joe Greathouse. Upon viewing one of the children reaching to grab his hand, Greathouse was asked how it felt, in light of recent media controversy over multiple police officers across the country, to have such explicit trust demonstrated to them as an authority.
“It means everything to us,” Greathouse replied, “It’s important that we build a working relationship with the whole community and it starts at a very young age. We want to get them focused and to know that we’re friendly and we’re there to help them-that’s an important goal for us.”
After a Monday that featured Pedestrian Safety and the Police Force, Tuesday will focus on bike safety and personal hygiene, Wednesday will highlight fire safety, Thursday will be car and bus safety, and Friday will serve as an overview and graduation day.