GRAND FORKS, N.D., May 9, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Bob
Rost, a crossing guard known for his dedication to safety, was
named America's Favorite Crossing Guard today by Safe Kids
Worldwide and FedEx in a morning assembly in front of students,
parents, faculty and elected officials at J Nelson Kelly Elementary
School in Grand Forks, ND. Rost,
when not volunteering as a crossing guard, is the sheriff of
Grand Forks. Rost was selected
from an impressive group of 55 outstanding crossing guards
nominated from communities across the country for going above and
beyond in his contributions to keeping kids safe on their way to
and from school.
"Bob has been influential to our crossing guard program not just
at Kelly Elementary where he volunteers every day of the year
(rain, shine, snow and 20 below) but all across our state," said
Carma Hanson, coordinator of Safe
Kids Grand Forks. "His work on legislation opened the door to
schools being able to have crossing guard programs in our state.
His role modeling of a successful safety patrol program has helped
to gain the confidence of school administrators and now that
program is taking off thanks to his efforts. The kids at Kelly
Elementary School, in all of Grand Forks
County and in the state of North
Dakota are safer because of Sheriff Bob and his work and
dedication to pedestrian safety."
Safety in school zones is more important than ever. A research
report released by Safe Kids Worldwide, made possible with support
from FedEx, revealed that school zones can be unsafe places for
students. The research, "Alarming Dangers in School Zones," is an
observational study that included 39,000 walkers and 56,000 drivers
in school zones. It recorded risky behaviors, including distracted
walking by students, distracted driving by those dropping off,
unsafe speed limits, unmarked crosswalks and limited crossing
guards.
The research revealed that about 80 percent of students were
observed crossing the street in an unsafe manner. And nearly one in
three drivers displayed unsafe behaviors that endangered student
pedestrians, like texting, double parking or blocking a
crosswalk.
Download the report, infographic
and Take Action Toolkit.
Safe Kids and FedEx launched the America's Favorite Crossing
Guard campaign to raise awareness about the tremendous contribution
that crossing guards make to keeping kids safe in school zone.
"With pedestrian deaths on the rise and kids and drivers more
distracted than ever, crossing guards are our unsung champions,"
said Kristin Rosenthal, Program
Manager for Road Safety at Safe Kids Worldwide. "Many crossing
guards are volunteers, like Bob, who donate their time to keeping
kids safe on their way to school. Bob is one of many dedicated
crossing guards around the country who deserve our gratitude."
"At FedEx, we are committed to protecting kids on the road,"
said Matthew Thornton, Senior Vice
President of U.S. Operations at FedEx Express. "America's
Favorite Crossing Guard is a unique opportunity for Safe Kids
Worldwide and FedEx to join together to raise awareness about the
important work crossing guards do every day across the United States and to encourage students,
parents and communities to show appreciation to these unsung civic
heroes."
This is the second year Safe Kids Worldwide has named America's
Favorite Crossing Guard. For more information about the initiative
and how to nominate a crossing guard in your community visit
safekids.org.
About Safe Kids
Safe Kids Worldwide is a
nonprofit organization working to prevent childhood injury,
the number one cause of death for children in
the United States. Throughout the
world, almost one million children die of an injury each year, and
almost every one of these tragedies is preventable. Safe Kids works
with an extensive network of more than 400 coalitions in the U.S.
and with partners in more than 30 countries to reduce traffic
injuries, drownings, falls, burns, poisonings and more. Since 1988,
Safe Kids has helped reduce the U.S. childhood death rate from
unintentional injury by 60 percent. Working together, we can
do much more for kids everywhere. Join our effort
at safekids.org.
About FedEx Corp.
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides
customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of
transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual
revenues of $64 billion, the company
offers integrated business applications through operating companies
competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the
respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most
admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 425,000
team members to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety,
the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of
their customers and communities. To learn more about how FedEx
connects people and possibilities around the world, please visit
about.fedex.com.
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SOURCE Safe Kids Worldwide