Keep Kids Visible, Safe this Halloween
Vulcan Materials, local schools and police partner in public awareness effort

October 29, 2008 - As local kids gear up in the latest spooky fashion for Halloween night, Vulcan Materials Company is joining forces with Countryside, Hodgkins, LaGrange, McCook and Western Springs Police Departments and Hodgkins, Ideal and Pleasantdale Elementary Schools on a "Be Safe, Be Seen this Halloween" safety campaign to help local parents and children ensure the night is fun and safe for everyone.

"Halloween should be fun for the kids, but it also should be safe," said Jeff May, McCook Quarry Area Manager. "At Vulcan, we're working together with neighborhood schools and law enforcement to better prepare the folks in our community for this exciting night."

For the third consecutive year, Vulcan has donated safety glow sticks and safety flyers to be distributed to children and parents in the area. Local police, who will be out in full force Halloween night, urge motorists to slow down and maintain extra caution whenever children are present, especially on this night.

"An important part of protecting our trick-or-treaters is making them easier to see," said Sergeant Marge Kielczynski of the LaGrange Police Department. "We all have a responsibility to get the entire community involved in child safety, and thank Vulcan and our schools for working with us."

Safety experts remind parents there are several simple points to take into consideration before their children go trick-or-treating. Halloween safety tips include safe costume design, knowing their child's route, and waiting until their child gets home to eat any treats.

"Halloween is an exciting time for our students," said Steve Bahn, Principal of Ideal Elementary. "Our partnership helps teach children that they can be safe and still have fun."

Bahn also encourages parents to be more aware this season by following the safety precautions and guidelines being distributed through the partnership.

Additional tips by the National Safety Council include:

- Teaching children to travel only in familiar areas, along an established route.
- Setting a return time.
- Pinning emergency contact information inside your child's pocket.
- Discarding any opened or suspicious treats.
- Selecting costumes and bags or sacks with light-colored materials.
- Adding reflective tape to costumes and bags.

A complete list of Halloween safety tips is available online at www.vmcMcCook.com or www.nsc.org/library/facts/halloween.htm.

"Safety education is an important part of what we do at our schools," said Dr. Kathy Keenan, Principal of Hodgkins Elementary. "Our partnership with Vulcan and law enforcement helps us accomplish this very important mission."