Greater Cleveland Safe Kids/Safe Communities

March 2, 2010

Meeting Minutes

I. Announcements

January and February projects- BIG Thanks to all that participated in last meeting’s campaigns.

The Cleveland Metroparks Ranger Department, one of the Greater Cleveland Safe Kids Coalition’s most active member agencies, recently received an award from the Ohio Parks & Recreation Association in recognition of its outstanding bike safety programs.  Among its many bike safety efforts, the Metroparks Rangers partnered with the Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital Injury Prevention Center on a summer bike skills camp for children from an economically disadvantaged, primarily Hispanic neighborhood in Cleveland.  During the summer of 2009, 65 pre-teen campers participated in six week-long camps.  Campers learned new and safe ways to stay fit and active, discovered more about their community and its recreational opportunities, and learned about future career opportunities as they traveled throughout the Greater Cleveland area and gained exposure to all kinds of new people and experiences.  Campers had the opportunity to earn a new bike by demonstrating their bike safety skills, always wearing a helmet, and taking part in community service projects.  Rangers provided help in coordinating rides and watching over the kids, and were great role models for our campers.  Each week our young bikers enjoyed the Ranger’s presentation and were excited to learn about a career that would allow them to use their biking skills, help people, and enjoy the outdoors.

To learn more about the bike camp program, please check out the OPRA Connections Magazine.

Greater Cleveland Safe Kids/Safe Communities
January 5, 2010
Meeting Minutes

1. I.                   Announcements
2. Meeting Dates & Locations – we have a great little calendar with all of the 2010 important campaign and meeting dates.  If you would like to order a calendar, please let Chrystal (216-983-1108 or chrystal.gullett@uhhospitals.org) know and we’ll get some out to you.  It’s great to give to potential new members!

• Tuesday, March 2 – Liberty Mutual, 24651 Center Ridge Rd., Westlake
• Tuesday, May 4 – Cleveland Metroparks Ranger Headquarters, 4600 Valley Parkway, Fairview Park
• Tuesday, July 13 – Westlake (Location TBA)
• Tuesday, September 14 – Recognition Meeting (Location TBA)
• Tuesday, November 2 – Parma Police Dept, 5555 Powers Blvd., Parma

Meet Rainbow Injury Prevention Center’s newest team members!

1. 1. Linda Kimble – Linda has over eight years experience working with community wide collaborations and change initiatives.  She came to us as a project coordinator for the American Lung Association of Ohio and before that she was a health inspector for the Cleveland Department of Public Health.  Linda will be working on seat belt messaging and programming for culturally diverse populations.
   2. Jennifer Walker – Jennifer has fifteen years of communication, marketing and PR experience.  She has managed local, regional, and national marketing campaigns for non-profit, retail, and consumer product clients and for the last ten years has focused on marketing to teens, tweens and their parents.  Jennifer will be coordinating an exciting new project for NHTSA to increase seat belt use among teens/tweens through the influence of their parents.
   3. Zach Legg – Zach is the Center’s new Data Management Coordinator.  He has a BS in management from Case and an MS in statistics from Akron University.  He loves math and has an interest in model building / regression and nonparametric methods.
   4. Mandy Thomas – Mandy will be working as the Communications Coordinator and Safe Kids Coordinator.  She graduated from Bowling Green State University School of Journalism this past May.  She’s excited to start working with our great coalition to create programs and media outreach opportunities for our coalition and all of our partners.

  Read the Full Article »

Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and the Greater Cleveland Safe Kids/Safe Communities Coalition kicked off the holiday season with the 10th Annual Holiday Mocktail Party on Thursday, December 3. Three hundred partygoers, representing more than 100 community agencies, organizations and businesses, were on hand to sample a variety of non-alcoholic drink recipes prepared by members of the Greater Cleveland Safe Kids/Safe Communities Coalition. A team of local celebrity judges cast their votes for the best tasting drink, while partygoers had their say with the crowd pleaser award.

The party was designed to spark conversations between families and friends about making simple, potentially lifesaving decisions as they plan their holiday festivities. Providing non-alcoholic drink options, designating a sober driver and calling a cab for intoxicated guests are simple ideas to make holiday parties merrier.

Last year in Cuyahoga County alone, 133 alcohol-related crashes occurred between Thanksgiving and New Years Eve. The Cuyahoga County DUI Task Force will be out in force with DUI checkpoints, saturation patrols and motorist education throughout this holiday season.

Prepare these non-alcoholic drinks, mixed by members of the coalition at the Mocktail Party, for the designated drivers at your holiday party.

Whobilation Libation – 1^st Place Winner

Lake County Crime Prevention Task Force

— 1 cup milk                                         — 2 cups mint chocolate chip ice cream

— whipped cream garnish                      — sprinkles garnish

Combine ice cream and milk in blender.  Top with whipped cream and sprinkles.

Toboggan Chutes Slider – 2^nd Place Winner

Cleveland Metroparks Ranger Department

— 16 oz. apple juice                              — 1 L 7-Up or Sprite

— 8 oz. cranberry juice

Mix together all beverages, chilled.  Add crushed ice.

Peanut Butter Blitz – Crowd Pleaser Winner

Parma Police Department

— 1 cup vanilla ice cream                       — 1 T honey

— 1 cup milk                                         — 1 ½ T peanut butter

Combine ingredients, blend until smooth.  Top with whipped cream and chopped nuts.

The Cleveland Metroparks Rangers took the prize for Most Creative Display

The Lake County Crime Prevention Task Force created Who-Ville in the Marriott East

The Cuyahoga County Board of Health took on H1N1 with their Swine Cider

The January Safe Kids/Safe Communities Meeting will be held at the AAA headquarters in Independence (map it) on January 5.  Please go to the 2nd floor training room.  The meeting will start at 9:30 am and go to approximately 11 am.  Lunch will be provided to all attendees.  The address is:

AAA
5700 Brecksville Rd
Independence, Ohio

Some of the topics we will be covering include winter sports safety, fire prevention and carbon monoxide safety campaigns for the winter season, Cleveland Auto Show, Poison Prevention Awareness Week, Valentine-themed child passenger safety campaign, DUI prevention campaigns centered around the  Super Bowl and St. Patrick’s Day.  We will also present highlights from the 2009 Mocktail Party, which was a great success.

The Greater Cleveland Safe Kids/Safe Communities Coalition’s Member Recognition Meeting:

Who: All coalition members (please RSVP at 216-983-1108)

Where: Silver Grille at the Higbee Building, 200 West Prospect Road, Cleveland, Ohio

When: Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at 11 a.m.

Why: To recognize your outstanding efforts over the past year.

The keynote speaker of this year’s recognition meeting is long-time Cleveland area journalist Dick Feagler. 

The Greater Cleveland Safe Kids/Safe Communities Coalition brings together members from law enforcement, fire and EMS services, government, health care, public health, nonprofit agencies and the business community to advance the health and wellbeing of all members of the Greater Cleveland community.  The annual member recognition luncheon is an opportunity for our members to join together to reflect on the past year’s accomplishments, reenergize, and gather momentum for the coming year’s projects and programs.

The Listener Luncheon event had live music from Soft Rock WDOK, great food and many different vendor tables.  Our Safe Kids/Safe Communities table focused on DUI/Sobriety and Motorcycle awareness information.  Visitors to our table received car air freshners and motorcycle kick stand coasters.  Coalition partners Liberty Mutual had a “Make Your Quote Count” raffle drawing and numerous other giveaway items. For each quote requested, Liberty Mutual donated $10 dollars to the Greater Cleveland Safe Kids Coalition.  Cleveland Police Department also participated at our booth. They brought a motorcycle and the Blood Alcohol Testing (BAT) Mobile for display and tours. Children, parents and even seniors had fun taking pictures while posing on the motorcycle and with officers. The event was a success with DUI/Sobriety and motorcycle awareness information reaching over 1200 people. 

Register now for the “Get on Target for Child Safety” sporting clays charity event.  The Hill n’ Dale Club will host the event on Sunday, September 13 to benefit the Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital Injury Prevention Center and its Special Needs Transportation Program.  Registration is only $65 per person ($75 after 9/5)  of which $20 is a tax-deductible donation to Rainbow.  Additional details included on the registration form:

Registration form for the “Get on Target for Child Safety” charity event

Proceeds from this benefit will help Rainbow provide specialized car seats and motor vehicle restraints on a loaner basis or at a reduced cost for children who are injured or have physical or developmental problems that prevent them from fitting properly in conventional car seats or seat belts.  Infants and children with hip or leg casts and those with disabilities or neuromuscular disorders like cerebral palsy often require specialized seats that can be hard to find and extremely expensive, ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars.  In some surgical cases, these specialized seats are only needed for a short time, placing additional financial hardship on these families.

Thanks to our Gold Sponsors:

• Outback Steakhouse
• Solon VFW Post 1863
• Stanley Steemer
• Whitetails Unlimited – Tinker Creek Chapter

The PSA created by students at Bedford High School in Bedford, Ohio has begun airing this summer on select cable television channels.  The original video won first place in the annual Use It or Lose It contest sponsored by Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and Kohl’s Department store.  View the video below:

The Greater Cleveland Safe Kids Coalition presents a Night with the Captains.  To show our appreciation for our current and active members and all the great activities they do throughout the year, the Greater Cleveland Safe Kids Coalition will have a group outing in the picnic plaza of Classic Field in Eastlake during the Lake County Captains home game on August 14.  Tickets are only $10 each and include a buffet dinner! (limit 2).  Gates open at 5:30pm and the buffet runs from 6:00pm – 7:30pm.

*For more information or questions, contact Chrystal Gullet at 216-983-1110

Order Tickets Here