Each day, dedicated adult crossing guards show up at their assigned crossings to assist students in their journeys to or from school. The City of Marshfield honors adult crossing guards for their commitment to child pedestrian safety during School Crossing Guard Recognition Week. MMCCU and Weiler’s Convenience Stores teamed up to thank local crossing guards this week, presenting them with coffee mugs and other goodies.
“I believe it was Carol Rae Kulibert that had the idea. She mentioned how her heart always goes out to them as they are standing out in the inclement weather at their posts and thought it would be nice to recognize and/or honor them somehow and our MMCCU philanthropy committee unanimously agreed,” said Tiffany Schara, MMCCU Consumer Loan Officer and member of the Philanthropy committee alongside Kulibert, Shelly Hughes, and Stephanie Rasmussen.
“Seeing the crossing guards every morning on my way to work is very moving. They are always there for the kids, making sure they get to school safe,” added Kulibert. “With everyone in a hurry to get to work, the crossing guards are risking themselves to make sure the cars stop before crossing. And they are always there during bad weather. Kudos to them all.”
Adult school crossing guards play a critical role in keeping students safe as they walk to and from school each day. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, approximately 1,000 children between the ages 5 and 9 are killed each year in pedestrian accidents. Adult school crossing guards place the children’s safety above their own by ensuring all traffic is stopped before students enter the roadway while facing speeding motorists, cell phone users and others disregarding traffic signals.
As part of the week-long celebration parents, students, teachers and school administrative staff are encouraged to give thank you cards, or simply say “THANK YOU” to school crossing guards who live by the motto “Safety is First with Us Every Day.”
“They are the unsung heroes of our city,” said Police Chief Jody Geurink. “They are out in all kinds of weather patiently waiting to make sure our kids make it safely to and from school.”
After contacting Marshfield Police Department, MMCCU staff worked with Weiler Convenience Stores to put together a “thank you” present for each crossing guard.
“We figured we would complement the Police Department’s thank-you efforts this year by offering an additional hot beverage at their convenience with thermoses donated by Weiler’s and other fortifying goodies to be dropped off by our own team members by the end of this week,” said Schara.
Currently there are vacancies for the crossing guard role and applicants are encouraged to apply soon. To learn more, contact Marshfield Police Department at 715-384-3113 or visit the City of Marshfield job site.
