Safe Kids Kansas Presents 2009 Awards
Safe Kids Kansas presented their annual awards in a ceremony Tuesday at the Kansas National Education Association in Topeka. The prestigious Dr. Dennis Cooley Award of Excellence, named in honor of pediatrician Dr. Dennis Cooley of Topeka, was presented to Jan Stegelman of Topeka.
Stegelman served as the State Coordinator of Safe Children Kansas from the program’s inception in 1991 until her retirement in June 2009. In 1991, Stegelman, then a new employee with the Kansas Department of Well being and Environment, was charged with creating a state injury prevention program. Later that year, an agreement was signed with the National Safe Kids Campaign and a steering committee was formed in Kansas to form a Secure Children Coalition. Under her leadership, Safe Youngsters Kansas expanded to contain extra member organizations and neighborhood coalitions. Safe Kids Kansas also became a 501c(3) in 2003.
“We take this opportunity to recognize Jan Stegelman for her outstanding leadership in child safety and for her exceptional contributions in the field of childhood injury prevention in Kansas,” stated Cherie Sage, State Director for Secure Youngsters Kansas.
Safe Children Kansas also honored 1 nearby coalition, three individuals and two coalition member organizations.
“These organizations and people have created substantial contributions to the mission of Safe Kids Kansas, which is preventing accidental injury – the leading killer of our youngsters in Kansas,” said Sage.
Additional award recipients incorporate:
The Nearby Coalition of the Year award for 2009 was presented to Secure Children Geary County for their success in tackling the special complexities of their ever changing community. Safe Kids Geary County embraces challenges and coalition members work collaboratively to effectively offer education, training and programs to community members. Safe Kids Geary County has dedicated time and effort to figure out what the requirements of their county residents are and determine programs and activities that will function finest in their communities. Safe Kids Geary County has strived to make sure individuals have the training they want to educate their population holding both a Poison Control Center train-the-trainer course and CPS recertification class. Secure Kids Geary County works vigorously to prevent accidental injury of youngsters in the county producing it worthy of coalition of the year. The lead agency for Secure Youngsters Geary County is the Geary County Health Department.
Service Recognition Awards were presented to three people who have worked determinedly to offer injury prevention education to families in Kansas – Sgt. Timothy McCool, Dean Tucker and Emma Kruger. Serving as Public Resource Officer for Kansas Highway Patrol, Sgt. Timothy McCool is a passionate advocate for safety initiatives across the state. He is an active child passenger safety technician instructor and has presented innumerous injury prevention messages at schools and community events. Dean Tucker, former coordinator of Secure Youngsters Osage County, worked tirelessly to teach parents how to correctly restrain their children in child safety seats and provide children with education on the safest way to wear their seat belts. As a volunteer for Safe Youngsters Douglas County, Emma Kruger has strived to enhance injury prevention efforts in her community by way of 1 on one education, presentations, grant writing, serving on committees, and representing Safe Children Douglas County at neighborhood events.
The Outstanding Partnership for Child Safety Award was presented to Huggable Images, Shawnee Mission, for the company’s continued support of childhood injury prevention via advocacy and organization acumen. Huggable Images has traveled the country, giving presentations and exhibiting at conferences and providing a unique item that significantly enhances the ability to educate parents and other caregivers. Huggable Images is a member organization of Safe Kids Kansas and offers leadership and expertise from a business perspective on the Corporate Advisory Panel.
The Outstanding Coalition Organization Award was presented to State Farm Insurance for its sustained support of Safe Kids Kansas. State Farm’s monetary commitment to wheeled sports safety and vehicle occupant protection as nicely as partnerships between State Farm agents and nearby Secure Children coordinators have enhanced the safety of kids in Kansas.
Safe Kids Kansas, Inc. is a nonprofit Coalition of over 70 statewide organizations and businesses dedicated to preventing accidental injuries to Kansas young children ages -14. Neighborhood coalitions and chapters are located in Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Clay, Coffey, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Elk, Ellis, Finney, Ford, Franklin, Geary, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Labette, Leavenworth, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Meade, Mitchell, Montgomery, Osage, Pottawatomie, Rice, Riley, Saline, Smith, Shawnee, Wilson and Woodson Counties, as nicely as the cities of Chanute, Emporia, Leavenworth, Pittsburg, the Wichita Location (which includes Butler, Harvey, Sedgwick and Sumner counties), and the Metro Kansas City Location (such as Wyandotte County and numerous Missouri counties.) Safe Children Kansas a member of Secure Youngsters Worldwide, a global network of organizations whose mission is to avoid accidental childhood injury. Safe Children Kansas was founded in 1991 and the lead agency for the State Coalition is the Kansas Department of Well being and Environment.