JASFC, FCFD partner to host Harvest Festival
Proceeds from weekend event to fund Safe Haven Baby Box at fire station
This Saturday, the Forrest City Fire Department and Junior Auxiliary of St. Francis County are teaming up to host a Safe Haven Harvest Fest.
The event will begin at 9 a.m., at the Forrest City Civic Center, with a $5 admission fee that will be put towards installing a Safe Haven Box at FCFD Station 1, which is located downtown.
The admission fee grants participants access to bounce houses, games, hay rides and more events that will help raise money to fund the project.
JASFC member Hayley White said all events will be covered by the $5 admission fee.
"For extra funds, we'll sell concessions,” said White, adding that there will also be a dunking booth at the event.
"We also did end up getting our petting zoo,” added White. "There will also be a lot of informational tables that are coming as well as fun activities and contests."
A corn hole tournament will begin at noon. Teams participating in the tournament will pay a $50 per team entry fee, which includes the gate admission charge. A cash prize will be awarded to the winners.
White also said a Halloween costume contest will be held, with participants paying a $10 fee.
According to White, JASFC plans to hold a “grand reveal” soon after Saturday’s event to announce the amount of money raised for the project.
“It might not be on the same day, though, so we will have time to tally it all up," said White.
"We really wanted to do something that would be fun for everyone in the family," White continued. "Everything will be family-friendly."
White also said the festival will have no overhead costs thanks to sponsorships from area businesses and other donors.
She said she had also learned that the annual cost for the box is around $350, as well, and that JASFC will partner with the FCFD to pay that moving forward.
"So, if we raise it, we'll put it back into an account for the upkeep every year," said White. "While we have a plan for that, right now we really want to reach our goal.
"We want to keep that relationship open with them and help this cause," White continued. "We are just so humbled to be a part of something so great for our community. If it just saves one baby, it is worth the $15,000."
"It may be hard for some of us to grasp that concept because we've never been in that situation before," said FCFD Chief Shane Dallas of the need for the baby box. "But, I promise you there are those among us who are in that situation. We've run as first responders into these situations where babies are left in places, in dumpsters, wherever, because of whatever the mother is going through, and makes that decision, and they don't survive. We want to give her another option. We want to give her the option of ‘I can go up there and not get in trouble for it.’"
According to Dallas, there are only 10 Safe Haven boxes in the state, currently, and only one of those is near this area. He also said that 22 babies had been surrendered since the program began with three of those being in Arkansas.
Most of the boxes are in central or northwest Arkansas, according to Dallas, and there are also only 125 boxes across the country.
Dallas said the baby box is a purely donation-driven project and does not use any city or tax funding. "It is all community driven and all charitable donations," he said.
(Continued from Page 1) Dallas noted that Ronni Mashburn-Schwantz also played an important role in getting the project to this area.
"She's actually the one who came up with the idea," Dallas explained. "She approached me and asked if she could help raise the money so we could put it at the fire station because it has to be either at a hospital or a manned fire station."
Dallas explained the box will be heated and cooled and will have an alarm.
The box will also contain a bassinet for parents to place the baby in. Once the box is closed, an alarm will be sent to the firefighters who will then proceed to the box, from inside the fire station, to retrieve the child.
"When they close the door, it can't be reopened from the outside," explained Dallas. "Once we get the alarm, we will open it from the inside to retrieve the baby, check them out and care for them.
"As soon as that alarm sounds, we are making our way to the box," Dallas said of the amount of time a baby could spend in the Safe Haven box. "That baby isn't going to be there more than a minute or so. When that door opens up, that is number one priority."
Dallas said the department would immediately contact an ambulance to transport the baby to the emergency room where the Department of Human Services would take over.
"That entire process, you can still do that now, but we just don’t have the box," explained Dallas. "They can come up to the station and say ‘Look, I can't take care of them,’ and we take them – no questions asked – with that same process. This gives them the ability to do that without the judgment that may come with it."
White and Dallas agree the box would be an asset for the area and that part of the journey is raising the funds through this weekend’s event.
"It is going to be a great time for the kids, and we want everyone to bring their kids out," said Dallas.
Dallas said the department will also have a fire truck at the event along with the new inflatable fire house for children, weather permitting.
"Please come out and enjoy the Safe Haven Harvest Festival hosted by Junior Auxiliary of St. Francis County and Forrest City Fire Department this Saturday,” said White. "There will be a lot of activities and fun for everyone in your family. All proceeds will benefit the FCFD Safe Haven Baby Box fund. We can't wait to see you."
"This Saturday will be a funfilled day for families," agreed Dallas. "There will be hours of enjoyment, so please make plans to come out. The Junior Auxiliary has been working extremely hard to organize this event. I personally want to say ‘thank you.’ With a great turnout for the Safe Haven Harvest Fest on Saturday, we expect to be near or at our goal. Please come out and be a part of bringing the Safe Haven Baby Box to Forrest City."
“This Saturday will be a fun-filled day for families…There will be hours of enjoyment, so please make plans to come out.”
– FCFD Chief Shane Dallas