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Schooling youth in safety |
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Thursday, 12 June 2008 |
By MATT NICHOLS
Staff Writer
The goal for the two teams of children facing each other on the east lawn of the Wapakoneta Family YMCA is simple — spray the beach ball that sat between them over to the opposing team’s side.
A simple concept until the children were handed four pressurized fire hoses which, when activated, seemed to have a mind of their own. Everyone got at least a little wet.
The grueling game of “waterball” was one activity during the eighth annual Wapakoneta Family YMCA Safety
Camp, which educates children on farm, fire, burn, seatbelt, bicycle and swimming safety as well as many other safety issues.
“Our main goal in this camp is to get the kids to come out of here with safe ideas they can use throughout the summer and through the rest of their lives,” Wapakoneta
firefighter Doug Kill said. “We want to keep them from getting hurt so they can enjoy productive lives.”
The annual four-day camp is split in half based on age. On Tuesday and Wednesday, children entering the second through fifth grades participate and on Thursday and Friday, children aged 4-years-old to first grade enjoy lessons and activities geared toward them.
Between the lessons, the children participated in activities like “waterball” as well as bucket brigades and fishing. A Lifeflight helicopter visited the building on Wednesday afternoon.
YMCA Program Director Melanie Schnippel said the activities are necessary to break up some of the monotony of the lessons.
“The water games help a bunch because it lets the kids have fun and the things that they learn tend to stick better,” Schnippel said.
While Kill smiled and laughed as he watched the children hose each other down, the firefighter and Emergency Medical Services technician said he hoped they took what they learned at the camp to heart.
“If you just stay aware of your surroundings and if you keep that in the back of your mind, then that’s really what a lot of safety is,” Kill said. “Just being aware of what your doing and what’s going on around you.”
As the children yelled and screamed while they hosed each other down during “waterball” on Wednesday, a little girl stood to the side, dripping wet, her yellow T-shirt saturated and hanging to her knees.
Nine-year-old Abby Staley walked away from the game before it was over. She had had enough fun for one day, she said.
“I’m too wet and I’m not getting any wetter,” Staley said sternly. “I’m already going to be swimming today and I’m not getting any more wet.” |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 13 June 2008 )
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