Forty local rising kindergartners learned lessons about pedestrian, bike, fire and traffic safety during the inaugural Hopewell Valley Safety Town education program held recently.
Led by local teacher Lorie Zangrilli, with assistance from Marianna Beyer and Kate Andrew and 43 local teen volunteers, the students participated in a bus ride, a visit to the Hopewell Firehouse and a graduation ceremony with Hopewell Borough Mayor Paul Anzano.
During the week the children heard from Officer Louis Vastola, of the Hopewell Township Police Department, about the role of police officers in the community, stranger danger and what road signs mean.
The students also were treated to a visit from “Otto the Auto,” a remote-controlled talking car that engages children in traffic safety exercises, sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Foundation for Safety and Education.
”My daughter had a great time and was so enthusiastic about returning each morning,” said parent Michelle Brennan. “Thanks for making it easy for us and teaching the kids great lessons, while making it fun and enjoyable.”
Safety Town was brought to Hopewell Valley through a joint effort by the Hopewell Valley MOMS Club and Hopewell Valley YMCA.
MOMS Club member Andrea Stover initiated the effort as a year-long service project for the club.
”We are thrilled that Safety Town culminated in such an educational, productive week for the children and volunteers,” Ms. Stover said. “This important program is an asset to the community and we are grateful to all the volunteers and everyone who contributed time and energy to make it a success.”
A number of local businesses provided grants and donations in support of bringing the Safety Town program to students in the district.
During the past year, the MOMS Club also held several grassroots fundraisers including a Kids Fun Run, a yard sale, a used printer cartridge and small electronics recycling drive, and participated in two Clean Communities Days to pick up trash from local streets.
”We hope this year is just the beginning of many successful Safety Town programs to come and look forward to seeing the program grow in the future,” said Ms. Stover.
Safety Town sponsors included: Hopewell Township PBA Local 342, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Mid-Atlantic Foundation for Safety and Education, CSX Corporate Citizenship, Hopewell Harvest Fair, PNC Bank, Hopewell Valley YMCA, Pennington Quality Market, Whole Foods Market, Wegmans, Princeton Nassau Pediatrics, PEAC Health and Fitness, Hopewell Valley Community Bank, Knapp’s Cyclery, Motion Gymnastics, JaZams, Trader Joe’s and Antimo’s Italian Kitchen.
For additional information about Hopewell Valley Safety Town, visit http://hvymca.org/preschool/safety-town.
— Ruth Luse

