600 Attend Family Safety Fest; 300 Children Get Bike Helmets

ALTON, IL –   The weather forecast was uncertain enough early last Saturday morning to move Alton Memorial Hospital’s fifth annual Family Safety Fest indoors. Although it turned out to be a beautiful day, being inside didn’t bother close to 600 people who attended the event, at which close to 300 bike helmets were given out to children ages 4-12.

The bike helmets were given out in the hospital’s cafeteria meeting rooms, while the rest of the fair took place in the Beeby Wing lobby. The Bethalto Kiwanis Club served a free hot dog meal in the cafeteria. Among the more popular activities were a demonstration by Piasa Martial Arts in the connector lobby, plus child identification kits put together by Illinois State Police Trooper Mike Link as well as the Lewis and Clark Community College Dental School. Link’s ID kit used a photo and fingerprints, while LCCC Dental used tooth impressions that can be used to track children by both scent and DNA.

PHOTO BY DAVE WHALEY

Happy to get free bike helmets at Alton Memorial Hospital’s Family Safety Fest on May 21 were siblings, left to right, Tori Tucker, 9, Lana Tucker, 7, Samantha Tucker, 6, and Derrick Petrolay, 4.

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