More than 500 coming to Ag Safety Day

    The Chase County 4-H Council and Chase County Schools, in conjunction with the Progressive Agriculture Foundation, will be hosting the 7th Ag Safety Day for K-6 students this Friday.
    Coordinator Chris Tomky has been busy planning the day for the expected 560 students from Chase County Schools, Wauneta-Palisade, Benkelman Elementary and home school students in the county for a day of learning safe choices and lifestyle changes.
    Due to COVID and other issues, this will be the first Ag Safety Day since 2018.
    Tomky said the program goal is to keep children safe and take home the information to their families, the same it always has been.  
    “This Chase County Safety Day marks the largest attendance ever,” Tomky said.
    The day at the fairgrounds will have some important information, she said.
    “Farm safety is vital as our children often see farm and livestock operations as exciting playgrounds providing endless hours of fun and adventure. But these facilities and the livestock and equipment on them can also set the stage for tragedy,” she said.
    Each year, many children are killed or injured on America’s farm and ranches. This year, Ag Safety Days such as the one Friday are being held in 280 locations across the U.S., Canada, the Virgin Islands and America Samoa to teach rural children how to prevent injuries and reduce the risk of farm incidents.
    On Friday, the children will take part in interactive activities, Tomky said, that reinforce the importance of taking responsibility for their own safety, respecting parents’ safety rules and sharing safety tips with their friends/family.  
    Hands-on demonstrations include lifesaving first aid techniques and the hidden hazards of farm surroundings.
    Demonstrations will focus on fire, electricity, firearms, UV rays, PTOs, ATVs, grain, farm equipment, chemicals and first aid.
    The Safety Day program allows community leaders to structure sessions that cover basic farm safety issues and first aid, as well as addressing specific local needs.
    Those attending will receive a t-shirt, snacks, a noon meal and a take-home gift bag with more safety information, Tomky said.
    Donations from the community have been generous for all seven Ag Safety Days, she said.
    Local farmers, manufacturers and merchants have donated time and equipment to ensure the day is a fun and valuable experience, she said, hoping youths will maintain a healthy respect for farm hazards throughout their lives.
    “And that, ultimately, the numbers of deaths and injuries among rural children will decline,” Tomky said.
    Volunteers are vital to the day’s success, she added.
    The fairgrounds will be secured Friday for the safety of the children, so visitors will not be allowed, Tomky said. She encouraged volunteering if others want to be involved.
    To sign up, volunteers can go to www.signupgenious.com and search with this email: bctomky@gmail.com.  
    Tomky said this will be her last year as Ag Safety Day coordinator, and likely the final year for the event.
Part of 9th Street closing
    East 9th Street will be closed from the fairgrounds’ north entrance east to the pool entrance as hundreds of children will be crossing from 7:30 a.m. through 4 p.m., Tomky noted.
    Drivers are encouraged to alter their routes Friday and use Longhorn Street to reach the school.