Child Safe Fair is April 17 at Rec Center

The seventh annual Child Safe Community Day Fair will take place from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, April 17 at the , 18100 Royalton Rd.

The event is presented by the Rotary Club of Strongsville with participation from Jeff Ellis' International Karate Centers, VFW Post 3345, and the Strongsville Chamber of Commerce.

Kids will learn stranger defense, what to do in emergency situations and much more. The event is designed to be a kid-friendly way to keep children out of harm's way.

Children and parents will receive a free child identification kit, complete with fingerprints and a personal description record that parents take home and update regularly. Members of law enforcement will assist with the fingerprinting.

"It started with stranger danger, and expanded from there into all kinds of safety topics," said Jeff Ellis, organizer of the event. "It's good for parents to have access to this information."

The fair will include activities like an Easter egg hunt, ice cream eating contest and pictures with the Easter bunny along with clowns, face painting and balloons. There will be inflatable bouncers from Awesome Inflatables. 

Several members of law enforcement and various public service agencies  such as the American Red Cross, RB&C Injury  and Poison Control are donating their time to lecture and distribute information concerning the protection and safety of children. Children will participate in mini-clinics that will also help parents know how to talk to their children about stranger danger. 

The event is free. Nearly 2,500 people attended last year's Child Safe Community Day.