More than 100 toddlers are going to be safer on St. Croix roads after getting free car booster seats through the efforts of Rotary Club of St. Croix Mid-Isle and the V.I. Office of Highway Safety.
During the second Rotary Back to School Fun Day Saturday at the St. Croix campus of UVI, parents of children weighing 40 to 80 pounds registered for the seats. Parents then had to view a Power Point presentation on car safety seats, seat belts and airbags. Seats were installed in their vehicles and children properly strapped in by technicians.
“We do checkpoints and find so many kids are not in seat belts and not properly strapped in car seats,” said V.I. Police Officer Juan Concepcion, a child passenger safety technician. “This is great offering the seats. A lot of people are not restraining kids. They are in dire need of seats.”
Leslie Dickenson, territorial occupant protection coordinator of the V.I. Office of Highway Safety under the V.I. Police Department, said the giveaway has been going on for several years. The seats are partly funded by a federal grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Dickenson said car crashes are the leading cause of death for 5- to 15-year -olds.
“It’s the law for children to be restrained,” Dickenson said. She added officers will be stopping drivers they see with children bouncing around in the car.
After the seats were installed, the Fun Day began with two bouncers set up, hula hoop contests, relay races, dance contests, a three-legged race and face painting by JJ the Lady Clown. Rotary gave away 150 back-to-school supply kits with a composition book, pens, pencils, sharpeners, rulers and erasers.
“I am happy to get the school supplies,” J’hed Ferris said. “And all of this has been really fun.”
Partnering with Rotary for the day was the Rotaract Club of St. Croix, St. Croix Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., and the Delta Sigma Omega Chapter of the University of the Virgin Islands.
“We all have the same mission – to provide for the community,” said Shelby King Gaddy, president of Rotary and the Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta. “With more organizations working together we increase the impact.”
Girls were able to register for the Delta Sigma Theta’s mentoring program, which works on building self-esteem, study skills, homework help and teaching about career options.
