Safety tips for all activities, from the sidewalk to the little league football field, will be illustrated at one of Orangeburg's most successful vehicles in promoting accident prevention and healthy living among children.

Hundreds of children are expected to participate in the 12th Safe Kids Super Saturday event, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Orangeburg County Fairgrounds.

The event is sponsored by the Orangeburg-Bamberg-Calhoun Safe Kids Coalition, a program of the Regional Medical Center, which is also the primary sponsor of Safe Kids Super Saturday.

Drive-through safety seat checks and a bike rodeo complete with distribution of free helmets will be among the highlights of the event, which OBC Safe Kids Executive Director Kathy Funderburk says makes a difference in the lives of the community's youngest citizens.

"It's grown so incredibly in the number of participants who have joined us, the presenters and in the number of visitors that come that day," she said. "Accidental injury is the number one killer of children ages birth through 14 years of age. TRMC is well aware that prevention is key. They work very, very hard at that, and Safe Kids Super Saturday is one of their stronger areas in that."

Funderburk said she appreciates the private enterprises that have contributed financially to the event, as well as the participation of the state Department of Public Safety, CASA Family Systems, Clemson University's 4-H group and other public service agencies who help teach lessons in safety.

TRMC will sponsor free cholesterol, blood sugar, vision and blood pressure checks and have it's Blood Mobile on site. The Orangeburg Elks Lodge will make presentations on drug awareness and prevention. The state DPS will also have it's BAT (Breath Alcohol Test) Mobile at the event. A breath analyzer, fax machine and video recording devices are among the vehicle's features.

Funderburk said the event will not only focus on disseminating safety information -- it will also be a fun day for all ages.

A moon walk, hill slide, face painting, clowns, pony rides and games will be available, along with, for a nominal fee, popcorn and hotdogs, potato chips and drinks for everyone to enjoy. The Orangeburg County STAR team will be on hand with fire trucks and other safety vehicles on display.

In addition to the hands-on child safety seat checks conducted by Orangeburg Consolidated School District Five and state DPS officials, other event highlights include:

* A bike rodeo with a prior distribution of helmets by Orangeburg DPS and Orangeburg County Sheriff's Department. Children will be able to ride bikes and learn bike equipment and riding safety.

* An ATV safety presentation.

* Lessons on safety around animals by the SCPA.

* Train safety lessons with Operation Life Saver by Southern Railroad. It will be presented with the state Department of Transportation to include a Safety City designed to teach children about safety practices within their communities.

* A puppet show by God's Copy Cats.

* Weather preparedness and safety lessons by WIS-TV's chief meteorologist Ken Aucoin and National Weather Service representatives.

* Immunization, First S.jpg and other programming information by DHEC.

* Ide.jpgication cards for children by the state DPS, with assistance from Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College students.

* Sports safety promotion by Claflin University and South Carolina State University athletes.

* Smoke detector distribution and fire safety presentation by A Protection 24 company officials.

And the ever-popular Ronald McDonald will present a show at 1 p.m.

Funderburk said the event is free for a reason.

"We want nothing to stand in the way of the ability of our guests to join us that day," Funderburk said, noting that living in rural, poverty-ridden areas make children in the tri-county area more susceptible to injury. "There's nothing for sale at this event. There are no donations. It only costs $1 for a hot dog, chips and Coke together and 50 cents for cotton candy and popcorn.

"There's a tremendous sharing of the mission to decrease accidental injury, to promote health and well-being and to make the residents of the tri-county area aware of all the resources that are available to them."

T&D Staff Writer Dionne Gleaton can be reached by e-mail at dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5534. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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