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Brampton Safe City hosts its Annual Safe City AwardsNovember 25, 2010 - The Brampton Safe City Association is hosting its 28th Annual Brampton Safe City Awards this evening at Riverstone Golf & Country Club. Each year the Association and its Community Partners recognize citizens, businesses and community groups helping to make Brampton a safer community. At this evening's event, 5 citizens and 3 organizations will be honoured as ‘Local Heroes of Safety'. Peel Regional Chairman Emil Kolb, Peel Police Chief Mike Metcalf, Brampton's Fire Chief Andy MacDonald, Peel's Assistant Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa and Members of Brampton City Council will be attending to assist in presenting awards to this year's recipients. The 2010 Safe City Award recipients include: Special recognition to Roger Albert, retired CEO of Hydro One Brampton, who was chosen earlier this year by the Safe Communities Canada Foundation to receive their National Ambassador of Safety Award. Roger was one of 15 Canadians honoured as National Ambassadors of Safety for the work they are doing to enhance safety in their communities. Special recognition is also going to Lynda Lemmon, a Brampton mother who tragically lost her son to violence two years ago. Lynda has created a fundraising event, "From A Mother's Heart" in memory of her son, Luis Estrada Jr. with the goal to bring the gift of self-worth to young people who might otherwise be on the verge of making dangerous life choices. Peel Health is presenting their 2010 Children's Safety Award to Tina Hickey, an employee of Brampton Fire & Emergency Services, for her outstanding commitment to keep children safe from traffic injuries and fire. Tina has taught hundreds of parents how to install infant car seats, and was instrumental in creating the car seat training dvd, "Is Your Child Safe and Secure?" When she is not installing car seats, Tina is often found teaching children about fire safety in the Fire Life Safety Education Center and at community events. The 2010 Volunteer of the Year Award for Safety is being presented to Manan Gupta, a Brampton resident and Editor of Road Today Publishing. Manan is passionate about road safety and makes a habit every day to do something about it. He provides road safety information in Hindi and Punjabi languages on his radio program, and publishes road safety articles in Road Today magazine. Manan, in addition to chairing the Brampton Road Safety Committee, volunteers for numerous community initiatives including St John Ambulance's Red Nose Campaign, MTO's Road Safety Challenge, Road Connections Safety Group, Safety Drives Us and Brampton Safe City Association (current Secretary of the Board of Directors). The Employees of Hydro One Brampton will be receiving the Brampton Board of Trade's 2010 Business Award for Safety in honour of their recent remarkable achievement of 1.5 million hours without a time loss injury. They are also being recognized for their outstanding support as volunteers in numerous community programs and events. Brampton Fire & Emergency Services is presenting their annual Fire Safety Award to the Stephanie Gaetz Keepsafe Foundation. The foundation has been a major supporter for Brampton's innovative Fire Life Safety Education Centre in Chinguacousy Park. Through their foundation, Barbara Underhill and her husband Rick Gaetz have helped to bring fire safety messages to thousands of Brampton children, and continue to be an inspiration to keeping kids safe. The 2010 Gael Miles Youth Award for Safety is going to a student who recently graduated from Chinguacousy Secondary School. Already busy as student council president, Gaurav conceived and created a skating camp for middle school children who would not have otherwise had the chance to learn to skate. Gaurav, along with his dynamic team of high school volunteers, taught more than 40 younger children how to skate, and the benefits of being part of a positive social group. Safe City's premier award of the evening, the Neighbourhood Safety Award is being presented to the Drinkwater Road Neighbourhood Watch Group. This group of neighbours and friends was formed two years ago to address a crime concern on their street, but they quickly moved beyond that, and now have a great time organizing street barbecues, pot-luck dinners and other activities for families and children in their neighourhood. Their fun-filled block parties have turned neighbours into friends and Drinkwater Road into a caring, safe place to live. "This year's Safe City Award recipients are great examples of how Brampton citizens can get involved and help make our city a safe place," says Brampton Safe City President John Sanderson. " Brampton has been designated as an International Safe Community by the World Health Organization since 2007, and it is largely because of the work that people like the ones we are honouring tonight are doing in their neighbourhoods, schools and workplaces. There is something that each of us can do to keep our city safe no matter our age or abilities." The Brampton Safe City Partnership, a coalition of more than 30 community partners, focuses on eight key areas of safety: children's safety, youth violence prevention, road safety, crime reduction, workplace safety, seniors' safety, emergency preparedness, and fire safety. Our mission is to make Brampton a safer community by reducing the number of injuries and injury-related fatalities happening to our citizens and visitors; and to maintain our city's status as a Designated International Safe Community. Contact: Larry Zacher, Executive Director
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