AAA Michigan Employees Volunteer to Make Local Daycare Center Safer On Saturday, April 26

DEARBORN, Mich., April 25 -- A unique public service project undertaken by AAA Michigan employee volunteers to help protect youngsters from injury at metro-area non-profit daycare centers continues with a safety retrofitting project on Saturday, April 26, from 8 a.m.-noon.

Nearly two-dozen volunteers from the Actuarial and Underwriting areas at AAA Michigan's Dearborn administrative headquarters and from its Downriver branch will spend the morning child-proofing 12 classrooms in The Aquinas Center, 15601 Northline, in Southgate.

This is one of an ongoing series of projects to help safeguard children at nonprofit, metro-area daycare centers.

The program, directed primarily at protecting facilities from weather- related disasters, also provides a safer environment for children in general, according to John Kottke, product development manager at AAA Michigan, who is heading the project.

It was developed by The Institute for Business and Home Safety titled "Protecting Our Kids from Disasters," and has been introduced across the nation. The Institute's Board of Governors is chaired by AAA Michigan Vice President and Chief Underwriting Officer Larry Lange.

Safety improvements to be made at The Aquinas Center include covering fluorescent tubes with plastic sleeves to protect children in the event of breakage and anchoring bookcases, appliances, bulletin boards, pictures, etc. to walls to prevent them from falling and hurting children.

In addition, the team will put edging on shelves so books and other items can't easily slide off, install child-proof latches on cabinet doors and drawers, and secure items like computers and printers to prevent them from falling off counters and tables.

Other non-profit daycare centers will be included in future projects, Kottke said.

NOTE TO EDITORS: You are invited to cover the following volunteer public service event this Saturday, April 26, at The Aquinas Center, 15601 Northline, in Southgate. AAA representatives will be on hand for interviews from 8 a.m. to noon. Call Nancy Cain at +1-313-336-1514 or Bill Semion at +1-313-336-1503 before 5 p.m. Friday with questions, or call Bill on Saturday at +1-734-552-6872.