Meet a Safety Day Coordinator

By Casey DroddyProgressive Agriculture Safety Day® coordinators are responsible for organizing the one-day events in their communities. With support of the Progressive Agriculture Foundation®, these individuals attend coordinator training and receive resources like the Progressive Agriculture Safety Day Topics and Activities Manual to help plan their Safety Day.Safety Day coordinator from Chilton, WI, Jenny Konen enjoys organizing a Safety Day that hosts more than 120 local youth, ages 8-13. Under the auspices of her job as the marketing and public relations coordinator for Calumet Medical Center, Konen pulls together community members to present Safety Day lessons. We talked with Jenny about her second year organizing a Safety Day for some insight on being a coordinator.Question:  When did you start planning your Safety Day event that was held in mid-July?  Answer:  I began planning in February right after I attended coordinator training. We have monthly meetings with our committee members, who are leaders in the community and have a passion for keeping kids safe.Question:  What helps keep the event running smoothly?   Answer:  The volunteers are key. We always keep them aware of what is going on and give them maps and schedules of the day’s program. Making sure they are all on the same track helps the day run great.Question:  What have you seen the Safety Day do for your community?   Answer:  It benefits the whole community, and though we don’t know how many accidents were prevented just from holding the Safety Day, it’s the education factor that makes the difference.Question:  What advice would you give to other Safety Day coordinators?   Answer:  Start early and allow yourself enough time to plan the event.Jenny says the amount of community appreciation she hears before, during and after the event makes it all worth it. She sees how much fun the kids have at Safety Day and knows they will take home the safety lessons they learned.Visit our Get Involved web page to learn about hosting a local Safety Day or helping as a volunteer. Or, contact us to get started.