Together with the Sanford Fire Department and Lee County Sheriff’s Department, the Sanford PD is hosting an A.S.K. Day Celebration on Friday, June 21 from 3pm to 9pm in Depot Park. The day will feature games, bounce houses, face painting, food, and haircuts – all provided by local businesses to attendees at no cost.
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Why A.S.K.?
A.S.K. Day is a national initiative of the Center to Prevent Youth Violence (CPYV). It is meant to remind parents about the importance of asking whether there are guns in the places where their children play.
“Gun violence claims eight lives a day, and it doesn’t discriminate between adults and children,” explains Keiomi Evans, local police officer and the event’s coordinator. “Our goal is to educate parents on how to keep their children safe when the children are in other families’ homes,” she says.
Mylissa Bellamy, founder of The Matthew Bellamy Project, will speak at the event on June 21. Bellamy and her family began the Project after her son Matthew was fatally shot by a friend who was playing with a gun. The Project will distribute free gun locks to help reduce the number of children lost to accidental shootings.
While gun safety is the main focus, Evans hopes the A.S.K. Day Celebration will empower parents to ask about more than just guns. “National A.S.K. Day is a good time to remember that you should ask about other things before sending your child to the home of a friend or family member,” she says. Examples include will the children be supervised, are pools or ponds fenced in, and will an adult be in the home.
More Information?
For more information about the A.S.K. Day Celebration, to help sponsor or volunteer at the local event, or to learn more about the event, contact Evans at 919-775-8268 or on Facebook.
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