Free vests from the Green Island Lions Club

Free vests from the Green Island Lions Club

The Lions Club of Green Island, in conjunction with the Dunedin City Council, is donating 1,400 high visibility vests to all children at Pre-school and Primary school in the greater Green Island area. The high visibility vests will improve safety while the children go to and from school as well as while out on school trips.

Lions Club Past President, Mervyn Tikey, was working in Mosgiel and noticed many children wearing safety vests while they travelled to and from school each day. He felt that this was a great idea and proposed it to his Green Island club members. They agreed with the idea and began to raise the money required to supply the 1400 vests for all children at schools and kindergartens/play centres in Abbotsford, Green Island, Concord, Waldronville, and Fairfield.

The Lions Club of Green Island raised the money from a number of fund-raising ventures involving all members. Mervyn Tikey explained that it was a wonderful way for the club to support their immediate community, and what better way than assisting in the safety of the children of the area.

The vests will be given to all children at these schools and they will be expected to wear them whenever they walk out of the school on their way to and from school, and when their class or school goes on a trip and during cycling activities. They will make the children very visible for approaching traffic and will support the individual school road safety policy.

Dunedin City Council Community advisor in road safety (Youth and Schools), Bridget Smaill, said it is a very generous donation by the Lions. The vests will allow children to be “seen” and improve road safety while they travel to and from school.

Further information: Bridget Smaill, bsmaill@dcc.govt.nz.