On May 21, over 300 third graders from Austin County participated in the 12th Annual Youth and Safety Day.

Each year thousands of children are injured and hundreds are killed due to injuries related to firearms, water, farming equipment, improper use of car restraint systems, and electricity. It’s imperative that children are taught to recognize hazards which can be life-threatening and educated on good safety habits and practices.

Youth and Safety Day was organized to do just that. It’s a countywide event which focuses on safety issues and concerns of youth in general. The students were able to participate in a variety of interactive safety education presentations throughout the day. The event was sponsored by the Progressive Agriculture Foundation and was a collaborative effort between, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service of Austin County, Bellville General Hospital, the Texas Department of State Health Services, and the Colorado-Austin-Waller CFRT.

The event was conducted at the Austin County Fairgrounds. This year’s presenters were Austin County Sheriff’s Department – gun safety; San Bernard Electric Coop – electricity safety; Texas Master Naturalist; passenger safety – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service; Bellville ISD – snake awareness; Austin County EMS, Fayette County AgriLife Extension – look-a-likes and The Main Street Animal Hospital – horse safety.