Over 500 People Attended the 2nd Annual CIG Insurance Community Safety Saturday™ held on September 6, 2014, in Monterey, California
Monterey, CA, September 16, 2014 (Newswire.com) - CIG Insurance’s 2nd Annual CIG Community Safety Saturday™ was held on September 6, 2014 at Capital Insurance Group’s corporate headquarters located at 2300 Garden Road in Monterey. The free, family-friendly event attracted more than 500 attendees. Children, teens and adults alike received a wealth of safety-related information and resources from 30 local, regional, and national organizations.
Capital Insurance Group ® (CIG) established these popular family and community events in 2010 and has held Community Safety Saturday events throughout California and Nevada. During the Opening Ceremony, CIG and Marc Klaas were honored with Certificates of Recognition from United States Congressman Sam Farr and California Senator Bill Monning. CIG also received a Proclamation from the City of Monterey and Certificates were presented from the cities of Seaside, Marina and Sand City. Seaside Mayor Ralph Rubio and Del Rey Oaks Mayor Jerry Edelen spoke about the importance of the event to the community and thanked all the participants, especially first responders.
About the KlaasKids Foundation The KlaasKids Foundation was established by Marc Klaas in 1994 to give meaning to the death of his twelve-year-old daughter, kidnap and murder victim Polly Hannah Klaas, and to create a legacy in her name that would be protective of children for generations to come. The foundation's mission is to stop crimes against children by providing education and knowledge to the general public and promoting partnerships with concerned citizens, the private sector, organizations, law enforcement and legislators. www.klaaskids.org
Wendy Brickman, PR
Proudly sponsored by KION News Channel 5 and Telemundo, the event was part learning, part fun, with lots of safety information for everyone. Children delighted in watching the famous dog, “Whiskie the Whale Spotter”™ perform whale tricks as they listened to Peggy Stap of Marine Life Studies talk about safety on and around the water. A big crowd watched the exciting “Jaws of Life” demonstration, which included life-saving tools and equipment used by first responders. Parents and teens met with Kathy and Fred Forgnone, parents who lost their daughter in a car crash, and Officer Jaime Rios from the CHP to learn about the Start Smart Teen Driving Education Program.
Walt Bennett, CIG Vice President of Underwriting & Actuary explains, “We are absolutely delighted at the turnout. The more we can expose our community to all the safety and security resources that are publicly available, the greater the chances are that tragedies can be averted – or at least we can ease someone’s suffering when something does occur. At CIG, we are committed to improving the quality of life in those communities where we do business.”
More children will ride safely thanks to the child car-seat inspections.
The child car-seat safety inspection station was operated by the California Highway Patrol Office–Merced County. Expert technicians checked 50 vehicles for proper installation and found an 83% rate of misuse. They gave parents and caregivers critical information about installing car seats correctly for their particular child and vehicle. California Law restricts where and how a child may occupy a vehicle, based on the child’s age and height. They also educated parents on the dangers of leaving children in a hot car.
Over 200 children were finger printed at the KlaasKids Foundation Print-A-Thon.
The KlaasKids Foundation Print-A-Thon was offered at the event, providing free child identification tools including digital fingerprinting, photo IDs, take-home DNA kits, and more. Marc Klaas reports, “We have facilitated Print-A-Thon events throughout the United States for almost 20 years with a variety of community-minded sponsors, and this event is a huge success – we served over 200 children!”
Special crowd-pleasing presentations included:
• Jaws of Life Demonstration provided by the Monterey Fire Department who also brought their 55’ ladder fire engine for kids to climb.
• Whiskie the Whale Spotter™, the famous rescue dog from Marine Life Studies, performed her whale tricks and showed attendees how she spots whales from Marine Life Studies’ research boat in the Monterey Bay National Sanctuary. They also shared information about protecting whales, dolphins and other marine wildlife and observing them safely in the wild.
Additionally, CIG Community Safety Saturday featured the following attractions:
• Monterey County Sheriff’s Office–Coastal Station Monterey brought crime prevention handouts as well as their K-9, SWAT Team, and Search and Rescue vehicles which attendees enjoyed viewing. They also did “meet and greets” with their K-9 dog.
• Monterey County Crime Prevention Officers Association provided safety brochures.
• American Red Cross–Monterey Bay Area Chapter gave out Family Disaster Plans. Attendees tested their knowledge of Disaster Readiness and won prizes when they spun the “Wheel of Preparedness”.
• MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) brought their impactful “crash car” and provided handouts about the dangers of drinking and driving.
• The U.S. Coast Guard brought their 29’ fast boat for tours and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary provided water, boating and environmental protection information. Auxtter the Sea Otter mascot was also on hand.
• California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services provided educational materials about how to prepare for earthquakes and tsunamis.
• Monterey County Office of Emergency Services brought emergency preparedness information.
• Boy Scouts of America–Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council provided emergency survival and safety tips.
• Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast gave out safety information.
• Independent Transportation Network of Monterey County brought information about its organization that offers rides to seniors and the visually impaired in Monterey County, California.
• United Way Monterey County had an information booth including handouts about the 2-1-1 program.
• Sponsored by First 5 of Monterey County, MY Museum brought the Wheelie Mobilee, an interactive playground.
• Restorative Justice Partners brought information about dispute resolution programs that foster empathy, accountability and restoration of fairness to victims and the community.
• Family Service Agency of the Central Coast/Suicide Prevention Service of the Central Coast distributed their brochures and STOP cards.
• Community Emergency Response Volunteers (CERV) of the Monterey Peninsula gave out materials about turning off the gas/electricity and water in emergencies and simple medical responses learned in CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training.
• Recovers.org provided information about community resilience and their project in Seaside and Monterey.
• Central Coast CERT Association also provided emergency preparation information.
• Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District provided information about trail hiking and wildlife safety.
• YWCA Monterey County presented information about domestic violence and the services it offers at both its Seaside and Salinas locations.
• Monterey County Boys and Girls Club had a Wheel of Fortune Safety Game and information about their organization.
• Community Partnership for Youth brought face painters and offered a lanyard-making activity.
• Shred-it brought their mobile truck and shredded documents on site.
• Property Restoration Service provided information about disaster preparation plans and taking inventory of your possessions.
• KION/Telemundo was the media sponsor.
• Radio station 101.7 The Beach provided music and prize giveaways.
Capital Insurance Group and its local CIG Insurance Advisor, Monterey Insurance Agency, featured the event’s main booth with safety information, giveaways and prize drawings. The prizes included exciting, family- oriented giveaways, such as an annual family membership to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Family Plus annual memberships to MY Museum, four season passes to the 2015 Monterey County Fair, four passes for whale watching at Randy’s Whale Watching & Fishing, four passes to a performance at the Pacific Repertory Theatre, four passes for kayaking from Adventures By The Sea, a family pass to Elkhorn Slough Safari Nature Tours, and a family pass to the Monterey Zoo.
For more information about CIG Insurance Community Safety Saturday events, please visit www.CIGsafetysaturday.com
About Capital Insurance Group:
Capital Insurance Group® (CIG) is the leading regional property and casualty insurer serving the Western U.S. since 1898. CIG insures Personal Auto, Homeowners, Farmowners, Condo Owners, Vacation Property, Renters, Apartment Building Owners, and many kinds of Commercial and Agricultural Auto and Property. The more than 115 year-old company is rated “A” (Excellent) by A.M. Best, the independent financial monitor of the insurance industry. CIG manages personal, business, and agriculture risks underwritten by its affiliate companies: California Capital Insurance Company, Eagle West Insurance Company, Nevada Capital Insurance Company, and Monterey Insurance Company. Types of policies may vary from state to state. For more information, please visit www.CIGinsurance.com
CIG DELIVERS MORE. Continuously. ™
About the KlaasKids Foundation
The KlaasKids Foundation was established by Marc Klaas in 1994 to give meaning to the death of his twelve-year-old daughter, kidnap and murder victim Polly Hannah Klaas, and to create a legacy in her name that would be protective of children for generations to come. The foundation’s mission is to stop crimes against children by providing education and knowledge to the general public and promoting partnerships with concerned citizens, the private sector, organizations, law enforcement and legislators. www.klaaskids.org
Contact:
Wendy Brickman
Brickman Marketing
395 Del Monte Center #250
Monterey, CA 93940
831-633-4444
http://www.CIGsafetysaturday.com