March 13, 2003
Sammy Safety, Think First team to appear in 21st annual Mal's St. Paddy's Parade

By Jim Albritton
Health and Research News Service

JACKSON, Miss.—Sammy Safety, a certified safety super hero who works for Methodist Rehabilitation Center, cranks up his campaign for governor this weekend as he hits the streets for the 21st annual Mal’s St. Paddy’s Parade and Festival, Saturday, March 15.

Sammy, the centerpiece of Think First, the Jackson hospital’s statewide safety and injury prevention program, will toss cups, pass out bumper stickers and delight children of all ages as he promotes his safety and injury prevention platform.

After two years of encouraging elementary school students to play it safe, Sammy and Methodist Rehab are beginning this new campaign—one that combines a safety message with a year-long civics lesson.

The program hopes to encourage students to become more interested in the way government works, while stressing the importance of injury prevention. The parade will be Sammy’s first official outing since his announcement to 270 enthusiastic elementary school students at Madison Ridgeland Academy last month.

“This is a natural fit for us,” said Think First coordinator Lisa Uzzle Gates. “For the last two years we’ve been running a campaign in schools that focuses on the importance of wearing bike helmets and seat belts and teaching students to always think first about their safety. Connecting it to the curiosity young children will have about the governor’s race just gives us another way to more effectively spread our message. The parade is just the first of many stops for Sammy along the campaign trail.”

Sammy’s upcoming appearances include:

• Safety programs at the annual Summer Safety Expo in Rankin County on March 19.
  
  
• Two safety programs at Pinelake Christian School starting at 8:30 a.m. on March 20.
  
  
• A safety program at George Elementary School at 1 p.m. on March 21.
  
  
• Sammy Safety will appear at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. as part of Nature Fest on March 22.
  
  
• A safety program for children at St. Richard's Catholic School at 10:30 a.m. on March 25.
  
  
• Three safety and injury prevention programs at Richland Elementary School at 8, 9 and 10 a.m. on March 27.

Since March 2001, more than 16,000 Mississippi children have heard Methodist Rehab’s injury prevention message through school-based programs. And one of the most popular parts of those programs has been mascot, Sammy Safety, a rather large 5-year-old who always wears a bike helmet and seat belt. Sammy works with Gates and others on the Think First team, including firefighters, police officers, paramedics, therapists and physicians from Methodist Rehab.

Whether dancing across the stage in his size 18 shoes, demonstrating the proper way to wear a bike helmet or showing kids how to stop, drop and roll if caught on fire, Sammy makes learning about safety a fun and memorable experience, said Jim Albritton, public relations director at Methodist Rehab.

“Auditoriums can get pretty loud when he enters,” Albritton said. “Children who weren’t paying much attention before really sit up and take notice when they see Sammy. And you can’t help but smile when you see him dance across the stage to an ‘NSync song.”

Think First is designed to entertain and inform children, said Gates. “The speakers, Sammy and all the other elements give students a chance to see how important it is to prevent traumatic injuries. And the response from educators has been wonderful. We couldn’t be more pleased with the results.”

Think First has visited Spann Elementary School in Jackson five times. “The program has had a huge impact on our students from the very beginning,” said principal Darlene Harmon. “There was a noticeable difference in our students after their first visit. They were more orderly on the playground, and you could even hear them talking about wearing helmets and seatbelts.”

Sammy’s campaign for Governor kicked off on Feb. 26 when he announced his entry into the race on the Safety and Injury Prevention Party’s (SIPPY) ticket. Over the next few months, Sammy and the Think First team will campaign in elementary schools from Gulfport to Tupelo. And just like any other candidate, he’ll be seen at a variety of photo opportunities, all designed to spread his injury prevention message.

Complete with campaign posters and bumper stickers, Sammy’s campaign will give children an opportunity to get involved in the political process just like their parents, signing petitions, attending rallies and even casting a vote for their favorite super hero.