Safety Fair Collects Buckets Of Prescription Drugs
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - The 10th Annual Jefferson County District Attorney's Safety Fair kicked off Saturday morning, providing safety information and fun for families.
By the car load, unused and expired prescription drugs were dropped off to be properly disposed.
Nearby, thousands of pounds of personal papers were shredded and destroyed in large trucks. The prescription round-up and document shredding are just a few of the free services offered at the fair.
"It's a huge event that takes a lot of work, but it's worth every minute," Jefferson County District Attorney Pete Weir said.
With a bicycle rodeo that included free helmets for kids, as well as bounce houses and face paintings for extra fun, many parents brought their kids to the annual fair to learn important safety tips.
"We come every year to get refreshers on how to be safe online and on bikes," Mike Granner, a father of three, told CBS4's Kelly Werthmann. "It's important that they stay safe."
More than 70 vendors come together at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds to provide health resources and crime prevention information to the community.
"We are able to put this on thanks to volunteers and people from my office staff," Weir said.
"They work almost all year to put this on and not a single taxpayer dollar is spent to put on this event."
Among the vendors was TRIAD, a partnership in Jefferson and Gilpin Counties with law enforcement and volunteers which offers services to senior citizens.
At the fair, TRIAD was giving out free recycled cell phones to seniors who don't own one. The devices are redesigned to simply call 911 in case of an emergency.
Within an hour, all phones had been given away.
"It tells us, number one, that we got a need for communication for seniors for help," Sharon Reilly, TRIAD volunteer, said.
"Number two, it says that technology is even working for 82-year-old people, or someone who's 61 years old who needs a call phone, and not to feel so alone in case of an emergency."
Thousands of people visit the fair every year, proving to DA Weir safety is a top priority for the entire community.
"Information and education translates to power," he said. "The power to prevent victimization and to keep families safe. I can't think of a better calling than that."
The Jefferson County District Attorney's Safety Fair was from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, August 26th.
For more information on the event as well as vendors who provided free services, click here.
Kelly Werthmann joined the CBS4 team as the morning reporter in 2012. She now anchors CBS4 Weekend Morning News and covers a variety of stories around the state. Connect with Kelly on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @KellyCBS4.
