Safety City Savers Fundraise at Sunset Mall

Yesterday, teachers, children, and parents from Fort Concho Elementary gathered at the Sunset Mall parking lot to sell t-shirts that will benefit Safety City's refurbishment program.

Mary Slatton, whose son is involved in the project, said, "Callum is a 3rd grade student at Fort Concho Elementary, in Ms Fluitt's Gifted and Talented class." She said the project started when a few children came up with the idea to help revitalize it after seeing Safety City's current state of disrepair. In hopes of raising money to afford the renovations, two of the students designed the logo for the shirts, and they all have done the research on their own regarding fundraising. 

At the fundraiser, the group had a sign-up sheet for people to help in the repairs which benefits the children of San Angelo. The group also recently received their non-profit status as a 501(c)(3) organization, and manpower, materials, and monetary donations are needed and greatly appreciated for the project.

Along with a large table with neatly organized t-shirts for sale, a San Angelo Fire Truck, SAPD patrol car, and Ambulance were on site as well. Besides their presence of showing support for the children's mission, the general public were welcome to view the emergency response vehicles and ask questions.

Kevin Walker, of the San Angelo Fire Department, said, "The Safety City program teaches kids the laws of the street such as different street signs and how to be aware of their surroundings safely. We're hoping the fire truck will attract some attention so people will come out and see us and ask questions. We love educating the public as to what we do."

Officer Kyle Green, with San Angelo Police Department, said, "We do a lot as the Police Department with Safety City."  Depending on the weather, every spring and fall, one of the Motor Officers will set up the program schedule with the SAISD for 3rd grade students. There is a classroom portion, and then there is the practical portion at Safety City."

Officer Brian Bylsma, one of the Motor Officers, said, "There is a fire safety program that goes on at the same time, but it's mainly for bicycles so we can teach the kids how to properly ride. Parents like to have their kids ride on the sidewalk but we don't have a lot of sidewalks here, so they need to learn to ride safely." He stressed that, with bicycles, cyclists are to ride with traffic, and, when walking, to go against the flow of traffic.

 
The officers welcomed questions about the SAPD and said they looked forward to strengthening community relations with the public, especially the youth. Bylsma said, "We enjoy talking to the kids, especially the older ones, encouraging values of society and reiterating right from wrong. It's important for people to know, if they ever need help for anything, they don't have to be afraid; they can come to us at any time."

The Safety City Savers had approximately 100 shirts for sale at $15 each, but are taking orders for anyone who needs extra shirts or bigger sizes. They are also "extremely grateful for all of Miss Peggy at Adobe Signs and T-shirts for all of her help throughout the process."

For more information, contact Tammy Fluitt at Fort Concho Elementary, (325) 659-3654, Jeremy Slatton at [email protected]., or Georgia Hart, President of the Safety City Board. Also, the group is in the process of creating a Facebook page which will have further information.