Veterans Memorial Hospital’s Safety Day Camp has huge attendance in Waukon
VMH Safety Day Camp has strong participation from area youth at June 4 event in Waukon ... A record crowd of nearly 170 children ages seven to 14 from area communities participated in the day-long Safety Day Camp hosted by Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Wednesday, June 4 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon. Children were divided into small groups for 20-minute demonstrations at 10 different safety stations in addition to participating in five large group safety presentations. Pictured in the surrounding photos are presentations from this year’s event. Submitted photos.
Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) hosted its biannual Safety Day Camp Wednesday, June 4 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon. This day camp drew a record crowd of nearly 170 children ages seven to 14 from area communities for a day-long session on how to take responsibility for their own safety, respect parents’ safety rules and share safety tips with their family and friends.
The children were divided into 10 different groups and spent 20 minutes at each of the 10 safety stations. These 10 stations and their instructor(s) included:
• Farm Equipment Safety taught by Leikvold Custom Pumping, Todd and Brianne Leikvold.
• Lawn Mower/Chain Saw/Weed Eater/Pinch Point Safety taught by Chuck Votsmier, Ryan Murphy and Bob Mettille of Veterans Memorial Hospital and Waterville Fire.
• Fire Safety instructed by Chad Kelly of Waukon Fire Department.
• Grain Safety/Tug of War taught by Becky Rea, Allamakee County Extension
• ATV/Motorcycle/Bicycle Safety taught by Nate Demiter, General Manager of Premiere Kubota of Waukon.
• Electrical Hazards taught by Allamakee/Clayton Rural Electric Cooperative.
• First Aid and First Aid Kits instructed by Cheryl Livingston, Paramedic of Veterans Memorial Hospital, and Ella and McKenzie Livingston.
• Internet and Social Media Safety taught by Berlin Troendle.
• ‘Safe at Home’ and Babysitting Skills taught by Corinne Cook.
• Fire Arm Safety instructed by Brody Vankerkolk, Allamakee County Conservation.
The campers were also all called together at five different times during the day for large group demonstrations. The first demonstration involved a dummy getting caught in a power take-off entanglement and another demonstration of a heavy gate and a dual tractor tire falling on a watermelon and what that could mean to a child in that situation.
The third large group demonstration was instructed by the Harpers Ferry Fire Department showing their water rescue boat. The fourth large group demonstration included a fly-in and tour of the Gundersen Air helicopter. The fifth large group session was a demonstration and light show set to music of the all-electric car by Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative.
The following local organizations and businesses donated materials, equipment, food, literature or even their employees to help plan and carry out this tremendous safety day camp: Allamakee County Conservation, Allamakee County Fair Board, Allamakee-Clayton REC, Bear Creek Ag Supply, Clark Tire Pros, Future Farmers of America (FFA) of Postville and Future Farmers of America (FFA) from Waukon Schools, Farm Bureau of Waukon, ISU Extension, Gundersen Air, Harpers Ferry Fire and Rescue, Leikvold Custom Pumping, Village Farm and Home, Waterville Fire Department, Waukon Pioneer Fire Department, Bodensteiner Implement, and Xpressions.
In addition, each participant received a t-shirt and goodie bag for attending. T-shirts and many items in the goodie bags were provided by Veterans Memorial Hospital. First aid kits were donated to each child by Bear Creek Ag Supply-Titan Pro, Joel and Janice Thorson; stickers and stress balls by Leikvold Custom Pumping; and lip balm by Farm Bureau, Waukon.
For further information on future Veterans Memorial Hospital Safety Day Camps in Waukon, call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
