It could have been the lure of freshly made pancakes with real maple syrup or the opportunity to learn about farm and home safety, but a large crowd was on hand for the Wellington County Farm and Home Safety Association’s annual safety day and pancake breakfast on March 3.
Organizers of the event held at the Alma Community Centre were thrilled with the turnout.
“We had over 250 people come through the door,” volunteer Sharon Grose said. “It was an overwhelming success, made possible by the support of the community.”
Upon entering the front door of the Alma Community Centre participants were given a passport to be checked at each station visited. A full passport included visits to 12 different safety stations. PasSports were then traded in for a goodie bag filled with safety information and treats.
Displays were set up around the community centre by various organizations, including the Mapleton Fire Department, Guelph Wellington Paramedics, Waterloo North Hydro, Ontario Provincial Police and representatives sharing information on gun safety, tractor roll overs, tractor runovers, chemical safety, farm safety and grain safety.
Mascot Safety Sam, aka Walter Grose, said, “The number one cause of deaths on Ontario farms in the last four years is tractor runovers and tractor roll overs.”
Grose went on to say, “The focus this year is on gun safety and electrical safety. Also, successfully having everyone remember their green emergency number and their telephone number and how to call 9-1-1 in an emergency.”
On hand were 45 volunteers from the community, including the Wellington County Junior Farmers, Wellington County Queen of the Furrow Katrina Martin and Wellington County Farm and Home Safety Association board members and their families.
