CLARKSTON, WA – Two nonprofit organizations are trying to build a safer, more active future for kids.
They may work for different organizations, but Asotin County Community Services Director Cynthia Tierney and the chair of the Friends of Parks and Recreation, Jan Goodheart, share something in common.
“Asotin County said to friends of parks and recreation that they would really love a nonprofit to help us do this. It fits right into their mission, and they stepped up,” Tierney said.
Tierney and Goodheart are investing in safe driving for the future, via a traffic garden, where kids can learn the basics of the road.
Tierney says it will give kids a space to learn the rules of the road, while preserving the community’s safety and health.
“I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but there has been an uptick in aggressive driving, and one of the most beautiful things that research tells us is that kids who learn this way become good drivers and their kids become good drivers,” Tierney said.
Jan Goodheart says the benefit extends beyond safe driving.
“It will be used big time by the P.E teachers in Clarkston School District,” Tierney said. “They have a bike program in the school district, and other than the playgrounds, they don’t have places where the children can go out and ride on what looks like a simulated traffic area.”
And where would this traffic garden be located?
“We’re using a part of the playground that isn’t presently used for a playground, and it’s directly in between Highland School and the boys and girls club,” Goodheart said. “It’s been exciting to see the Boys and Girls Club get excited about having another place where they can have education with kids about safety.”
The target donation goal for the traffic garden is 240 thousand dollars. Tierney described what kind of support will be needed to reach that goal.
“What we are mostly interested in is having a lot of different people from diverse backgrounds donate either time or money to this project because it is a community project that we want everybody to feel like they are a part of,” Tierney said.
If you are interested in making a donation or getting involved, click here.
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