Safe Kids Washoe County and Fed Ex sponsor International Walk to School Day

October 4, 2005 - Safe Kids Washoe County and FedEx Express volunteers will educate children and parents at street intersections on their walk to school as part of International Walk to School Day. More than 500 children from Echo Loder Elementary School will participate in the Safe Kids Walk This Way program on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 8:20 a.m. A press conference will be held at 8:30 a.m. at the school.

At the press conference, Safe Kids Washoe County will be donating $1,000 to Echo Loder to support the school’s on-going pedestrian education and safety efforts.

In addition, results of new research by Safe Kids Worldwide will be premiered, describing the most dangerous U.S. metropolitan areas for child pedestrians. This research was aimed at determining factors common to safer areas and to more dangerous areas, in order to apply that information to cities across the country.

Pedestrian injury remains the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 5 to 14. Each year, more than 658 children ages 14 and under die nationwide from pedestrian-related injuries.

Safe Kids Worldwide is releasing a national ranking of the most dangerous metropolitan areas for child pedestrians on October 5, 2005. In addition to the ranking, Safe Kids will release findings on the characteristics common to the most dangerous areas, as well as those common to the safer areas. For more information or for a copy of the survey, contact Elana Schaffer at 202-662-0608, or visit www.safekids.org.

Safe Kids Washoe County works to prevent accidental childhood injury, the leading killer of children 14 and under. REMSA (Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority) is the lead organization for SAFE KIDS Washoe County, which is a coalition of local agencies including Washoe County Health Department, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, State of Nevada Injury Prevention, the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety, MADD, Kiwanis and many others. Safe Kids Washoe County is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing accidental injury.

450 Edison Way Reno, Nevada 89502 (775)858-5700 Fax (775)858-5720