WASHINGTON, April 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Lassie, the
iconic collie whose latest role is animal ambassador for Save the
Children, visited Congress Wednesday to inspire leaders to join her
in protecting children from disaster.
Nearly 10 years after Hurricane Katrina woke up the nation up to
the extreme dangers disasters can pose to children right here in
the United States, Lassie made her
Hill visit en route to lead Save the Children "Prep Rallies" at
local schools. The events are part of America's
PrepareAthon!, a grassroots campaign for action to get people
better prepared for emergencies through group discussions, drills
and exercises.
"Lassie's devotion to keeping kids safe is well known and she is
an amazing addition to Save the Children's emergency preparedness
team. But let's be frank, Lassie can't be in all places at all
times. We need you all to take leadership in protecting children
from disaster," Erin Bradshaw,
director of Save the Children's Get Ready Get Safe initiative, told
attendees at Wednesday's Capitol Hill briefing.
"That means acting now to protect the little ones in your own
families as well as every child in the communities you represent
across the United States," she
added. "Children are not just little adults and their unique
needs must be planned for in advance of a disaster."
Today a majority of U.S. families do not have a strong emergency
plan in place and 21 states and the District of Columbia still lack
basic requirements for emergency plans in schools and child care
facilities, Save the Children experts told attendees. At the
same time more than half of U.S families report having been
personally affected by disaster.
"We simply can't wait for the next disaster to make sure we've
done our best to protect our nation's children," said Rep.
Grace Meng (D-NY). "Take it from my
constituents, many of whom struggled to protect their kids from
major devastation during and after Hurricane Sandy. There is
still much work to be done to protect children and make sure their
families get the services they need in times of crisis. I
urge my colleagues to join me in making this a priority."
Prep Rallies and America's PrepareAthon!
After leading a pledge to protect children from disaster and
posing for photos, Lassie left Capitol Hill for Mundo Verde Charter School in the NoMa
neighborhood of Northwest Washington DC.
There, Lassie led 90 first-, second- and third-graders in a Save
the Children "Prep Rally," which teaches kids emergency
preparedness basics including how to recognize risks, make a plan,
and gather disaster supplies. Through interactive demonstrations
like the un-telephone game and disaster supplies relay race,
children learned critical safety skills that they can take home and
share with their families.
Thursday, preparedness efforts will continue across the nation
and in Washington, where Lassie is
slotted to lead another "Prep Rally" at a child care center at the
Department of Labor.
New Research to Reveal Post-Katrina Gaps
In July, Save the Children will release its annual Disaster
Report Card in advance of the Katrina 10-year anniversary.
The report will detail what progress has been made and what gaps
remain for protecting children from disaster since the National
Commission on Children and Disasters formed after Katrina made a
series of urgent recommendations.
Families and caregivers can find emergency checklists and other
Get Ready Get Safe resources at
www.SavetheChildren.org/checklists.
Save the Children invests in childhood – every day,
in times of crisis and for our future. In the United States and around the world, we
give children a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and
protection from harm. Follow us
on Twitter and Facebook.
Media Contact: Tanya Weinberg
tweinberg@savechildren.org
202-247-6610 (m)
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SOURCE Save the Children