A Day For Promoting Health And Safety For Kids

Kids Day America, an event promoting health, safety, and environmental awareness, drew a large crowd on Saturday, May 19, to Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Chiropractor Mayumi Deraney estimated that the event attracted approximately 1,000 people to the school over its four-hour duration.

Dr Deraney sponsored Kids Day America with her husband, chiropractor Rod Deraney. The Deraneys practice chiropractic medicine at Physical Medicine and Family Wellness Center, LLC, on Glen Road, Sandy Hook Center.

The event provided information on crime prevention, Internet safety, child safety, and environmental topics, among others.

Six people received children’s empowerment awards at Kids Day America.

Receiving the awards were town Fire Prevention Officer Bob Nute, Police Officer David Kullgren, Superintendent of Schools Evan Pitkoff, Legislative Council Chairman William Rodgers, children’s author/illustrator Mercer Mayer, and Susan Giglio, who is the president and executive director of the Families Network of Western Connecticut, Inc.

“We thought it went really well…Everyone had positive comments,” Dr Mayumi Deraney said of the first Kids Day America held locally.

An Amber Alert information station and book signings done by Mr Mayer were very popular activities, Dr Deraney said.

Amber Alert is a notification system that is used to inform the general public of child abductions. “We wanted everyone to get the Amber Alert [identification] cards,” Dr Deraney said.

Mr Mayer has published more than 300 children’s books in a wide range of visual styles. Mr Mayer sold approximately 200 copies of autographed books at Kids Day America, Dr Deraney said.

Dr Deraney said that she and her husband held the event to educate parents and children about natural health care solutions.

Proceeds from Kids Day America will benefit the Families Network of Western Connecticut, Inc, a social service agency that works to prevent child abuse.