DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — After being closed from storm damage for about a year, Danville’s Friendly Town has reopened for kids to learn safety.
Friendly Town is a week-long summer education course. After more than 50 years, the little town continues to benefit young kids, giving them some tools and experience on the road as well as in the classroom.
“We’ll talk about bullying. We’ll talk about cyber safety a little bit. We’ll talk about stranger danger.”
Throughout the week, the kids get to hear from fire departments, EMTs, and other first responders to learn about safety.
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Officer Long said no matter how much time they spend in the classroom, they always have a need for speed.
“The main thing is, the kids like to come out here and ride the cars.”
Well, the need for five-miles-an-hour speed.
One group of kids will drive around, paying attention to traffic lights, stop signs, and staying on the right side of the road. The second group will walk the crosswalk, acting as pedestrians.
“So, we go through all that stuff, like you would if you went down and took a drivers test,” Long said. “The kids adapt really well to it, and the first day is a little rough, but after that, man — they pick it up and they just go.”
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Friendly Town can enroll any student in kindergarten through third grade, and they can participate all four of those years.
“I’ve had kids from as far as North Carolina that come to visit grandpa and grandma for the summer,” Long said. “Sign them up. Here’s how you sign the registration form: get it in to me and I’ll make sure we can get them in here while they’re here visiting.”
Friendly Town is still accepting participants for the summer. To register, fill out this form. Questions can be directed to Officer Long at Long at 217-431-2250.
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