FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — A Walk ’N Run pedestrian safety awareness event will be held at Michael J. Tighe Park, Georgia Road, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 10.
The event is being hosted by Freehold High School senior Catherine Felle, who is a member of the New Jersey Students Against Destructive Decisions.
In a letter to Freehold Township officials, Felle said the event targets elementary school-age children and their parents and involves high school teens in the community.
Felle said she wanted to offer a pedestrian awareness event because the community has many pedestrians and bicycle riders, especially in Freehold Borough.
She planned the event and said she applied for and received a grant from Youth Service America to fund the event, which will offer a bicycle helmet decorating craft and a bicycle obstacle course to encourage children to wear a helmet when they are riding a bicycle.
“This program is begin run by teens, not adults,” she said.
A teen-to-parent education session with new and experienced drivers will be offered to remind drivers to yield to pedestrians, mind the speed limit in residential areas or near crossings, and to keep in mind the importance of sharing the road, according to Felle.
“Pedestrians will learn their rights,” she said, adding that young drivers need to be aware of the serious responsibility that comes with driving.
Teen drivers “need to know they are responsible not only for themselves and those in the car they are driving, but they also have the responsibility of being aware of those outside on the road as well,” she said.
The event is free, but Felle said donations would be appreciated. All donations received will go to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Monmouth County, Asbury Park. For more information, call 732-294-2000.