Playing It Safe: Oregon Zoo To Host ‘Safe Kids Day,’ May 4

Two year old female Amur tiger, Eloise, at the Oregon Zoo. ©Oregon Zoo / photo by Kelsey Wallace

Zoo teams up with Safe Kids Portland Metro to educate kids, families on safe play

For kids, summer is traditionally a time for play, with activities like swimming, skateboarding and riding bikes. To make sure the risk of injuries doesn’t rise with the temperatures, some simple safety measures can help.

On Saturday, May 4, the Oregon Zoo will team up with Safe Kids Portland Metro, led by American Medical Response, to host its 21st annual Safe Kids Day at the zoo. Activities will focus on simple actions that can save lives — like wearing bicycle helmets, life jackets and seat belts. Safe Kids Day activities run from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and are free with zoo admission.

Multnomah County Commissioner Sharon Meieran and Portland Police bike officers will be on hand to help raffle off bicycles at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m., respectively.

Ten stations around the zoo will make up a “safety safari,” with games for kids and safety information for the whole family. Every child who completes the safari receives a safety-related prize. Prizes for kids include bike helmets for the first 500 participants, courtesy of AMR, Ceasefire Oregon, Community Cycling Center, Doernbecher Tom Sargent Safety Center, Legacy Trauma Nurses Talk Tough, Operation Lifesaver, Oregon Burn Center, Oregon Poison Center, Oregon Zoo, Portland Fire and Rescue, Portland Parks and Recreation, Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue, Safe Routes to School (Multnomah), Safe Kids Washington County, Stop at 4 Committee, ThinkFirst Oregon at OHSU, and Washington County Bikes.

The mission of Safe Kids is to protect kids from falls, car crashes, poison, drowning and other accidental injuries. In the United States, nearly 9 million children are treated for injuries in emergency departments each year. These are often serious injuries that can affect them for a lifetime. Safe Kids Portland Metro has been helping prevent injuries to Portland-area kids for 20 years. Communities throughout Oregon have planned safety events during the spring and summer. To find out more, visit safekidsoregon.org.

As part of the Metro family, the Oregon Zoo helps make greater Portland a great place to call home. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Oregon silverspot and Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies, western pond turtles and Oregon spotted frogs. Other projects focused on saving animals from extinction include studies on polar bears, orangutans and cheetahs.

Support from the Oregon Zoo Foundation enhances and expands the zoo’s efforts in conservation, education and animal welfare. Members, donors and corporate and foundation partners help the zoo make a difference across the region and around the world.

The zoo opens at 9:30 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Visitors who travel to the zoo via MAX receive $1.50 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit trimet.org for fare and route information.

 

Comments to: Playing It Safe: Oregon Zoo To Host ‘Safe Kids Day,’ May 4

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *