ATV safety focus of kids’ event

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One hundred young people attended Farm Safety Day at the Darke County Fairgrounds Tuesday.

Andy Bauer (left) and Gary Wical discuss farm safety and mobility with children at the Darke County Fairgrounds Tuesday.

GREENVILLE — The Darke County Chapter of Farm Safety for Just Kids hosted the Progressive Agriculture Safety Day for area youngsters Tuesday.

The event was held at the Darke County Fair’s Youth Building. Admission was $3.

The mission of the nationwide program, now in its 20th year, is to “provide education and training to make farm, ranch and rural life safer and healthier for children and their communities.”

In all, 100 kids attended this year’s program, receiving instruction on how to stay safe when facing various day-to-day situations at home and on the farm.

The primary theme of this year’s program was All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) safety, with a class conducted by Brad Wilcox of the Greenville City Fire Department.

The Rossburg Fire Department brought a fire engine to the event, and taught the children how to use fire extinguishers.

Gary Wical and Andy Bauer were also on hand, highlighting the dangers of farming accidents and how they maintain mobility despite suffering ag-related injuries.

Other areas covered by the program included firearm, drug and lawnmower safety, each taught by different instructors.

“We had a good mix of kids here today, from both rural and urban areas,” said Morgan Aultman, the program’s lead coordinator. “Most are from Darke County, but we had a few out-of-county kids as well.”

In addition to lunch and a t-shirt, each child received a carbon monoxide/smoke detector to take home.

Aultman wished to thank the sponsors of the event.

“We are a non-profit organization, and we couldn’t do it without donations from community members and businesses,” she said.

When asked what she hoped the kids learned, Aultman said “When they leave here today, I want them to think about the dangers out there, where they could be located, and how to avoid them.”

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