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Contest Will Teach Children About Safety
By Lauren Puglisi
At last week's Manchester Township Council meeting, Councilman Brendan Weiner announced that he would be serving on the review committee for Ocean County's Exploited and Missing Children's Emaila Friend safety contest.
The Exploited and Missing Children's Commission was established in 1984 and coordinates with various groups in the county that offer protection and safety programs for kids in the area.
According to Weiner, children from third through fifth grade in townships across Ocean County will be able to participate in the contest.
"The contest is also meant to create safety awareness for children in Ocean County before the nationwide Missing Children Day on May 25," Weiner said.
To involve as many interested students as possible, the commission sent out contest flyers to many school districts in the county.
Upon receiving an entry form, children will be given a list of six questions to answer and send to their friends about how to remain safe in each described situation.
"Entries will be judged based on the writer's ability to describe a specific safety issue or scenario and how to stay safe given that issue/scenario," Weiner said. "We will have winners for first, second and third place for grades three, four, and five but there will be also honorable mentions for fourth through 10th place winners."
In past years, the commission has tried to acknowledge the importance of each participant in some way. Last year, each child received free Rita's Italian Ice.
Entries will be accepted by the Ocean County Sheriff's Department until April 1. Members of the committee will meet for the judging process April 7.
Joining Weiner on the judging committee will be Bob Paladino and Jo Ann Petrisso, who are both members of the Ocean County's Exploited and Missing Children's advisory board.
Winning entries will be announced on May 25 at the center court of the Ocean County Mall during National Missing Children's Day activities.
Those interested in having their child compete in the contest can contact June Farrington at the County Sheriff's Department at jfrarrington@co.ocean.nj.us.
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