Annual Safe Kids Day scheduled Saturday

From ​Julie Noble, Child Advocacy Program Coordinator and Safe Kids SWFL Coordinator at Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida.

Preventable injuries are the leading cause of death among children in the United States.

At Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, we are hosting our annual Safe Kids Day to provide parents with the tools and information they need to keep their kids as safe as possible.

Safe Kids Day is free and will take place on Saturday, April 16, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

In addition to interactive demonstrations on a variety of safety-related topics, there will be fun activities – like Easter Egg hunts – for children to take par t in.

If you have kids or are a caregiver in any way, I really encourage you to come.

The goal of Safe Kids Day is to provide a fun atmosphere for families and caregivers to learn how to keep children safe in their homes and communities. There will be demonstrations and games where participants can learn about the following subjects:

Bicycle safety and pedestrian safety (free bike helmets while supplies last)

Car and bus safety

Internet safety and child identification

Keeping medications secure

Safe sleep

Water safety 

Youth sports

Drug and alcohol prevention Children will also be able to have their faces painted, see fire trucks and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office’s K9 unit, and check out books from a mobile branch of the Lee County Library System.

In addition to the interactive games and demonstrations, the event will feature four Easter egg hunts at the following times:

Noon – Children with disabilities

12:30 p.m. – Children ages 0 – 3

1 p.m. – Children ages 4 – 6

1:30 p.m. – Children ages 7 and older Also during the Safe Kids Day event, local Harley-Davidson owners and enthusiasts will participate in the annual Easter Bunny Toy Run. Dozens of motorcyclists, led by the Easter Bunny, will ride to Golisano Children’s Hospital to deliver toys to sick and injured children. The toy run ensures that children in the hospital are still able to enjoy a visit from the Easter Bunny.

The event will also feature food trucks and a DJ.

Safe Kids Day was made possible with the support of our community partners, including Safe Kids South-west Florida, Lee County School District, Lee County Emergency Medical Services, Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Harley-Davidson’s Rockstar Owners Group.

Golisano Children’s Hospital of SWFL is located at 9981 South Health-park Drive in Fort Myers.