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PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: [Insert Date] CONTACT: [Insert Name, Phone Number, E-mail address]

[Local Organization] Partners with National Seat Check Saturday to Urge Parents and Caregivers to Get Their Child Safety Seats Inspected Over 90 child safety seat checkpoints will be held in Illinois

[Insert City, IL] – The Illinois Department of Transportation/Division of Traffic Safety (IDOT/DTS), AAA and [Local Organization] urges parents and caregivers to make sure their child safety seats are properly installed in their vehicles at the second annual “National Seat Check Saturday,” on Saturday, September 20, 2008. As part of National Child Passenger Safety Week (September 21- 27) certified technicians will be available to provide free on-site child safety seat inspections from [time] at [location]. Checkpoints across the state are sponsored by IDOT/DTS, AAA, Evenflo and Illinois Safe Kids.

“It’s the responsibility of every single parent and caregiver out there to make sure their children are safely restrained – every trip, every time,” said [Local Leader]. “We are urging everyone to get their child safety seats inspected. When it comes to the safety of a child, there is no room for mistakes.”

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration research, 8,325 lives of children under age 5 have been saved by the proper use of child restraints during the past 30 years. In 2006, among children under 5, an estimated 425 lives were saved by child restraint use. Research shows that child restraints provide the best protection for all children up to age 8; after age 8, and when a child has reached 4’9” tall, safety belts provide the best protection. Illinois law requires child safety seat or booster seat use up to age 8.

For maximum child passenger safety, [Local Leader] said parents and caregivers should refer to the following 4 Steps for Kids guidelines for determining which restraint system is best suited to protect children based on age and size:

1. For the best possible protection keep infants in the back seat, in rear-facing child safety seats, as long as possible up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat. At a minimum, keep infants rear-facing until at least age 1 and at least 20 pounds. 2. When children outgrow their rear-facing seats (at least age 1 and at least 20 pounds) they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats, in the back seat, until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular seat (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds).

3. Once children outgrow their forward-facing seats (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds), they should ride in booster seats, in the back seat, until the vehicle safety belts fit properly. Safety belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest (usually at age 8 or when they are 4’9” tall).

4. When children outgrow their booster seats, (usually at age 8 or when they are 4’9” tall) they can use the adult safety belts in the back seat, if they fit properly (lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest).

For more information on Child Passenger Safety Week, a national effort to remind parents and caregivers of the lifesaving effect child safety seats have in protecting young children, please visit www.nhtsa.gov.

To find a complete listing of Seat Check Saturday checkpoints in Illinois, please visit www.buckleupillinois.org.

Local Time Sponsoring City of of Lead Technician Phone Number Organization Location of Event Address of Event Event Event Addison Police Henry Hyde Resource Chris Weinbrenner (630) 543-3080 Department Center 199 Michael Lane Addison 10 to 2 Steve Smith (618) 445-2065 The Hope Center The Hope Center 23 W. Cherry Albion 12 to 2

Rusty Ingram / Alton Memorial Laura Herman 618-463-7305 Hospital Alton Memorial Hospital One Memorial Drive Alton 9 to 12 Alton Fire Rick Orban 618-463-3565 Department Alton Fire Station 2 3212 College Alton Antioch Fire Diana Horton (847) 395-5511 Department Antioch Fire Department 835 Holbek Drive Antioch 12 to 4 Todd Early Childhood Nick Jarmusz (630) 328-7235 AAA Chicago Center 100 Oak Avenue Aurora 10 to 2 Northwest Fire District Engine Northwest Fire District 3407 South Belt Andy Grove (618) 233-0235 House #2 Engine House #2 West Belleville 12 to 4 (815) 698-2395 Illinois State Police Angie Kinstner x324 D-21 Bradley 9 to 12 Attn: Raquel Strubhart Raquel Strubhart / St. Joseph's 9515 Holy Cross Jancie Gebke (618) 526-5435 Hospital St. Joseph's Hospital Lane Breese 9 to 1 (618) 457-3200 Carbondale Police Heather Reno x446 Department Vogler Ford 1170 E. Main Carbondale 10 to 2 Macoupin County 18600 Shipman Debbie Link (217) 854-3223 Public Health Carlinville Walmart Road Carlinville 9 to 1 Hancock Co. University of IL Melita Finney (217) 357-2171 Health Department Extension 550 N. Madison Carthage 9 to 12 Ashley Gold 773-880-3295 Safe Kids Chicago Babies R Us 6420 W. Fullerton Chicago 12 to 2 Clare Pfotenhauer (847) 294-4522 Illinois State Police CVS Parking Lot 55th & Western Chicago 10 to 1 Ounce of Prevention Fund / (773) 373-8670 Educare Early Educare Ealy Childhood 10 to Michelen Miller x3006 Childhood Center Center 5044 S. Wabash Chicago 12 312-746-8355 Chicago Police 937 N. Wood Street Milton Robles x134 Department Parking Lot 937 N. Wood Street Chicago 10 to (312) 747-8724 Chicago Police Pamela Slaughter x113 Department Tarkington Park 3330 W. 71st Chicago 10 to 1 Kids Hope Child Kids Hope Child Shannon Hastings 773-907-0278 Development Ctr Development Center 5244 N. Lakewood Chicago 11 Centro San Wanda Vazquez (773) 266-7759 Bonifacio Burlington Coat Factory 1710 N. Kostner Chicago 10 to 1 Alliance for Community Peace Alliance for Community Wanda Vazquez (312) 943-8530 Rev. Phyllis Harrell Peace 506 West Elm Street Chicago 10 to 1 Cicero Police Rhonda Gross (708) 652-2130 Department Target Parking Lot 2901 S. Cicero Ave. Cicero 11 to 2 Coulterville Volunteer Shannon Kinney (618) 443-8747 Ambulance Coulterville City Park Coulterville 10 to 2 Continental 5800 S. Lagrange Candy Kilmartin (708) 354-1400 Chrysler Jeep Continental Jeep Road Countryside 10 to 2 (217) 425-1500 Safe Kids Macon Macon County Health Michelle Boatman x1313 County Dept. 1221 E. Condit Decatur 10 to 2 Dixon Police Dixon Police 220 S. Hennepin Jennifer Strock 815-288-4181 Department Department Ave. Dixon 10 to 2 (630) 241-6800 Illinois State Police- Illinois Tollway / State 2700 W. Ogden Downers Sgt. Jim Jenkner x5009 D15 Police Avenue Grove 10 to 2

618-542-2171 David Sneed x8014 Illinois State Police DuQuoin Krogers Rt. 51 South DuQuoin 10 to 1

Illinois Department East St. Louis Police East St. Kristen Taylor (618) 346-3136 of Transportation Department 302 Riverpark Drive Louis 10 to 2 Wayne County Wayne County Health Marti Garner (618) 842-5166 Health Department Department 405 N. Basin Road Fairfield 10 to 1 Clay County Health Orscheln Farm and 1451 North State Doris Lusk (618) 662-4406 Department Home Road Flora 9 to 11 Freeport Police MLK Community Adam Wichman (815) 235-8222 Department Campus 511 S. Liberty Freeport 10 to 2 Stephenson Stephanie County Health Stephenson County Broshous (815) 235-8390 Dept. Health Dept. 10 W. Linden Street Freeport 10 to 1 Kara Bader (815) 747-3192 Family TIES Wal-Mart Parking Lot Bartell Drive Galena 10 to 1 Timber-Hollis Fire Timber-Hollis Fire Bryant Parker 309-389-2525 Department Department Company 1 401 Glasford Road Glasford 9 to 3 Glencoe Public Public Safety Joe Friedman (847) 835-4112 Safety Department 325 Hazel Avenue Glencoe 8 to 4 Glenview Police Glenview Police Lisa O'Kray (847) 901-6047 Department Department 2500 E. Lake Avenue Glenview 10 to 2 Wabash Area Grayville Fire 10 to Kathy White (618) 643-3022 Development Inc. Department 101 S. Main Grayville 12 Gurnee Police Key Lime Cove Water Wendy Mann (847) 599-7000 Department Resort 1700 Nations Drive Gurnee 10 to 2 (847) 433-7900 North Shore Auto North Shore 1350 Park Avenue Highland Sherry Shea x410 Group Volkswagen West Park 10 to 2

Will County Homer Jr. High / Hadley Pam M Dell'Aquila (815) 727-3263 Sheriff's Office Middle School 15731 Bell Road Homer Glen 10 to 2 Jersey County Jersey County Health M. Carol Acord (618) 498-9565 Health Department Department 1307 State Hwy 109 Jerseyville 10 to 1 Joliet Police Spanish Community 309 N. Eastern Tony Jerisha (815) 439-5210 Department Center Avenue Joliet 10 to 2 Kankakee City Kankakee City Police 202 N. Schuyler Michael Lindgren (815) 933-0400 Police Dept. Avenue Kankakee 11 to 2 (309) 852-0197 Henry/Stark Co. Rebecca Creech x251 Health Department Wal-Mart Supercenter 730 Tenney Street Kewanee 11 to 2 N. Milwaukee Trudy Maatta (847) 356-7376 Lake Villa Rescue Nielson Plaza Avenue Lake Villa 10 to 2 (847) 719-1690 Lake Zurich Police Bob Brasky x124 Department Lake Zurich Wal-Mart 820 S. Rand Road Lake Zurich 10 to 2 Lemont Police 127th and State Bob Dahlberg 630-257-2226 Department Jewel Parking Lot Street Lemont 10 to 1 Logan County Logan County Health Laurie McPherson 217-735-2317 Health Department Department 109 3rd Street Lincoln 9 to 12 K-Mart Store - Alternate Illinois State Police Site Macomb Fire 1325 E. Jackson Ed Howard 309-833-4046 D-14 Department Street Macomb 10 to 2 Williamson Co 3203 W Deyoung Brian Murrah 618-997-6541 Sheriff's Office Marion Ford Dealership Street Marion 2 to 5 McHenry Police 2461 Richmond Laura King (815) 363-2200 Department Home Depot- McHenry Road McHenry 9 to 3 DeWitt-Piatt Bi- Kerisa Fish (217) 762-7911 County Kirby Ambulance 1408 N. Market Monticello 9 to 1 Safe Kids Kane 301 S. International Ron Smith (630) 966-2254 County Mooseheart Fieldhouse Dr. Mooseheart 10 to 2 Steven Morris Police 1414 N. Division Huettemann (815) 942-2131 Department Jewel Osco Street Morris 10 to 2 Mount Prospect Village / Metra Parking 11 E. Northwest Dirk Ollech (847) 870-5650 Police Dept. Lot Highway Mt. Prospect 10 to 2 St. Mary's Good Samaritan Hospital- Obstetric Times Square Mall 42nd Street and Stacy Minor (618) 241-5060 Department Parking Lot Broadway Mt. Vernon 10 to 2 Jasper County Jolyn Bigard 618-783-4436 Health Department Peterson Park 701 E. Marion Street Newton 9 to 12 Safe Kids McLean Jennifer Toney (309) 828-1892 County Rebbec Motors 302 Landmark Drive Normal 12 to 3 Oak Forest Fire Oak Forest Fire Station Charley Sopko (708) 687-6050 Department #1 5620 James Drive Oak Forest 9 to 12 Ford-Iroquois Corner of Lincoln/Rt. Jeanne Brown (815) 432-2483 Public Health Onarga Firehouse 45 Onarga 9 to 12 (708) 349-4111 Orland Park Police Warren J. Sekula x4708 Department Rizza Ford 8100 W. 159th Street Orland Park 10 to 1 Tazewell County Chuck Linton (309) 478-5651 Sheriff's Office Kroger 1607 Broadway Pekin 10 to 2 Peoria Area Safe Green Chevrolet 8017 N. Knoxville Kristan Creek (309) 671-4813 Kids/ CHOI Hummer Avenue Peoria 12 to 4 Peru Police Mark Credi (815) 223-2151 Department Coronet Dodge/Toyota 3705 Frontage Rd. Peru 10 to 1 Krisandra Schoonover (217) 306-6013 Nikles of Petersburg 300 South 6th Street Petersburg (217) 222-8440 Safe Kids Adams 9th & Vermont Jan Hummel x119 County Central Fire Station Streets Quincy 12 to 2 Safe Kids Susan Butler (217) 531-4268 Champaign County Rogers in Rantoul 101 E. Congress Rantoul 9 to 12 Riverdale Police Riverdale Village Hall Robert Pooler (708) 841-2203 Department Lot 157 W. 144th Street Riverdale 11 to 2 Crawford Memorial Crawford Memorial 10 to Stephanie Lathrop (618) 546-2529 Hospital Hospital 1000 N. Allen Street Robinson 12 CGH Emergency Rock Falls Fire Joy Willstead (815) 626-6649 Services Department 1013 7th Avenue Rock Falls 10 to 2 Quad Cities Safe Rock Island Fire Keene Hart (309) 792-4890 Kids Department 1313 5th Avenue Rock Island 10 to 1 Safe Kids Penny Lentz (815) 489-6088 Winnebago OSF St. Anthony- Safari 5666 E. State Rockford 10 to 2 Rockford Memorial Rockford Memorial 2400 N. Rockton Stacy Zell-Weavel (815) 971-5309 Hospital Hospital Avenue Rockford 9 to 1 Rockton Fire Rockton Fire Protection 201 N. Blackhawk Cory Magnus (815) 624-6010 Protection District District Blvd Rockton 10 to 2 Rolling Meadows Algonquin Road at 4700 Block of Rolling Sherry Roberts 847-255-2416 Police Department Route 53 Algonquin Rd Meadows 9 to 1 Billy Weston, Roscoe Police Roscoe Police Corporal #7842 (815) 509-8092 Department Department 10595 Main Street Roscoe 10 to 2 Spring Grove Spring Officer Rich Kresen (815) 675-2596 Police Department Jewel Osco 2401 Rt. 12 Grove 11 to 1 Illinois Department IDOT- Hanley Bldg 2300 S. Dirksen Megan Eairheart (217) 557-0860 of Transportation Parking Lot Parkway Springfield 10 to 2 618-234-2120 St. Elizabeth's Swansea Fire James O'Brien x1553 Hospital Department 144 Huntwood Road Swansea 9 to 12 Vermilion County 2106 Georgetown Sandy Heffern (217) 431-2662 RW&B CPS Team Toyota of Danville Road Tilton 10 to 1 Tinley Park Police 18345 LaGrange Dina Navas (708) 444-5326 Department Texas Road House Road Tinley Park 10 to 2 Trenton Police St. Mary's Church 325 S. Jefferson Ryan Weh (618) 224-9226 Department Parking Lot Street Trenton 8 to 12 Douglas County Tim Mooney Ford Kim Hunter (217) 253-4137 Health Department Dealership Route 36 Tuscola 9 to 2 Fayette Co. Safe Kaskaskia College Devvie Hodge 618-283-1044 Kids Chapter Campus 2310 W. Fillmore Vandalia 10 to 2 William Lyons 630-592-6122 Villa Park Police Villa Park Metra Station 349 N. Ardmore Villa Park 11 to 2 Monroe County Monroe County 10 to Carla Heise (618) 939-6175 Ambulance Ambulance 901 Illinois Avenue Waterloo 12 Wenona Junior Fieldcrest Middle School Tammi Coons (815) 863-5238 Woman's Club / Wenona 102 W. Elm Street Wenona 9 to 12 Western Springs Western Springs Police Western A.J. Hull 708-246-8540 Police Department Department 740 Hillgrove Ave. Springs 11 to 2 Wheeling Police 1055 N. McHenry Dorann Swanson 847-459-2661 Department Wal-Mart / Sam's Club Road Wheeling 10 to 1 Willowbrook Police Cindy Stuchl (630) 325-2808 Department Willowbrook K-Mart 840 Plainfield Road Willowbrook 10 to 2 815-476-5268 / Wilmington Police Rhonda Thomas 815-210-7356 Department Riverside Medical Clinic 105 S. 1st Street Wilmington 10 to 2 Central Dupage Katrina Hubbard (630) 710-7833 Hospital Central DuPage Hospital 25 N. Winfield Road Winfield 1 to 3 9 to Eric Schmidtke 815-338-2131 City of Woodstock Wal-Mart 1275 Lake Avenue Woodstock 12:30