2007 Elmer safety awards recognize children in Peel

When it comes to safety, Elmer the Elephant never forgets our kids.

The 14th annual Elmer Safety Recognition Awards were presented at Peel Children's Safety Village, April 28.

Thirteen awards were presented to children who reside in Peel region for outstanding acts of safety.

Elmer the Safety Elephant, members of the Academy, Peel Regional Police Staff Superintendent Blair Foley and various local dignitaries were on hand to congratulate these elementary school children for using their initiative, good citizenship and adherence to safety principles to make our community safer.

Five elementary school pupils from Caledon received awards and citation certificates presented by Foley and Mayor Marolyn Morrison.

Caledon recipients included Rachel Brown, Rebecca Savage, Kristine Goertzen, Jodi Turnbull and Alexis Cook.

Winner of the Foresters - Rose Branch Award.

Caledon Central went on their first downhill ski trip of the year. For many of the Grade 4 pupils it was the first time they have ever skied. While riding up on the chairlift, two of the pupils mentioned above, realized that a fellow pupil on the chair had never skied before. Instead of being on a small supervised hill with a ropetow, this non-skier had inadvertently ended up in the chair life line and was on the chairlift without realizing where she was going. When she reached the top of the hill, she fell and got quite tangled in her skis. She was understandably nervous and upset and near tears. She had no idea how to get down the hill. The five older pupils took it upon themselves to bring Rachel safely down. They helped her to remove her skis and then the five girls skied/walked down the hill with her.

When Rachel reached the bottom of the hill she was laughing and giggling with her rescuers. This could have been a very frightening ordeal for Rachel, but instead she remembers it fondly. The five girls who assisted her down the hill were not her classmates and, in fact, they didn't know Rachel well. They just did the right thing and helped a fellow pupil in need.

This year organizers received the largest amount of nominations in the history of the Elmer Safety Awards. The following pupils from Caledon, although not selected as Elmer Award winners, shouldn't have their efforts go unnoticed:

Michael Hueston, Monica Pesevski, Rylan McClosky, Michael Gregorinski, Susan Poznic, Claire Hernandez, Daniella Cerqua, Melissa Luongo and Erica Giancola.