Hundreds of Bronxites attended the 7^th Annual Child Safety Fair held for children aged 3 to 18 at The Whitney Young Jr. Campus at I.S. 193X / P.S. 211, located at 1919 Prospect Avenue in the Tremont section of the borough.

 

With April marking Child Abuse Prevention Month, youngsters attending the daylong event billed as “fun and educational” on Saturday, April 27, learned about various safety issues while also enjoying games and activities with their peers.

The event, held in partnership with the New York Yankees and the Bronx Zoo, featured various lectures and demonstrations on children, the internet, and fire safety, as well as information on bullying and drug prevention.

 

It also featured a rock-climbing wall as well as an FDNY safety trailer with fire department officials teaching children and parents about fire prevention and safety.

 

“Nina,” a Rockland County resident who attended the fair with her grandson, said of the event, “This is great for the community and all the kids that live in the area.” Nina added, “We did the facepainting, got some balloons, and took part in all of the activities they had in the park here, so it was very nice.”

Suhey Crespo, a 32-year-resident of Tremont, attended the fair for the first time with her daughter, Maribel, 8, after learning about it through a local church.

 

Sounding like she had more fun than her daughter, Crespo said, “It was fantastic! I had fun with my daughter. I learned a lot of information on free programs for my daughter, like camping. She also enjoyed drawing and painting and she also got an ID card for her safety, and that’s a plus, so my mind is now at ease for her.”

Crespo said she was also given free fruit, raffle tickets for free toy giveaways, and went inside the FDNY’s Fire Safety Trailer. She continued, “I learned a lot. With my daughter, we learned that if the doors are hot, try to avoid [them] if there’s another exit. There are two ways to exit, a window or a cold door.” Crespo added, “It was great to be honest. I would love to attend this again. They had food, there was pasta. It was great.”

 

Jeffrey Wynn of Brooklyn attended with fellow staff members of Hunger Free America, based on Sheridan Avenue. “I think it was a successful event,” he told Norwood News. “I was here on behalf of the organization I work for; our mission is to end hunger in New York City and eventually, hopefully in America.”

Wynn explained, “We handed out flyers and spoke to parents.” He added, “I just think it’s a good thing for the people in the community to be able to come together and have a good time. You see what’s going on out here; there’s no violence, just people having a good time.”

 

Some of the organizations and groups participating in the event included VIP Community Services, Montefiore Health System, the Morris Heights Health Center and the FDNY’s Fire Safety Education Unit.