Safety Patrollers thanked for dedication
The AMA rewarded the more than 400 kids in the region who participate in their Safety Patrols with a day of fun and games Wednesday at the Servus Sports Centre. Members from the Lethbridge Police Service, Lethbridge Fire and Lethbridge College’s Be Fit For Life Centre and the AMA’s local staff all came out to help the kids celebrate with activities ranging from dodgeball to tug-of-war to kickball.
“We are out to celebrate the over 400 patrollers that have worked hard all year,” stated AMA School Safety Patrol co-ordinator Allison Pike. “They have dedicated their time whether there’s rain, snow or sunny days. They are out at the crosswalk every day keeping kids safe while crossing the road.”
Pike said the AMA is proud of its eight decades of sponsoring the Safety Patrols in local schools.
“AMA School Safety Patrol has been around for 80 years, and during that time there has been zero serious injuries or fatalities,” said Pike. “That statistic speaks a lot to when patrollers are on the crosswalk those are safe crosswalks.”
Tianna Bishoff, from West Meadow Elementary School in Claresholm, has been on the Safety Patrol at her school for the past two years. She said it does take quite a bit of commitment to be a Safety Patroller, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I like doing it because I get to keep kids safe,” she said, “and I feel like instead of me just standing around on the schoolyard doing nothing that I am actually contributing to society, and helping people in my community so they don’t hurt themselves.”
Bishoff said there were also other intangible rewards for her service.
“You not only keep people safe,” she explained, “but kids are happy and I love it when the little kids come up and give me hugs and tell me, ‘Thank you for doing Safety Patrol.’”
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