Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
| By Paula Canning Staff Writer CHICOPEE As part of a nationwide tour to promote responsible firearm ownership, Project ChildSafe (PCS) will be making a stop in Chicopee to conduct several community safety events, which includes the distribution of a free gun lock. Those who attend the event, which will run today from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Memorial Drive Wal-Mart, will receive free educational brochures, safety pledges that children can sign, badges and bookmarks. According to Mary Haynes, national medial relations coordinator for PCS, today's safety education event is being conducted with the support of the Chicopee Police Department, which will be present throughout the day. Hayden explained that the event is intended to reach out not only to gun owners, but also to parents, neighbors and other members of the community who may not own a gun. "Even if you're not the one who owns a gun, gun safety should be an issue to you," she said. " You may have a child going to a neighbor's house that may have a gun, and you should help make sure that that gun is locked up," she said. The program places a special emphasis on educating children about the potential harm firearms can cause, which is why the children are encouraged to sign a pledge that promises that if the child should see a firearm, the child will not touch it and will subsequently notify an adult, according to Haynes. "Education is obviously the most important part of the program," she said. She explained that the pledge is mean to be presented to parents by children to show their commitment to being safe around firearms, with the end result being that the child adopts a sense of accountability for his or her own safety. "Signing these pledges and having this information available to them gives the children a sense of ownership and responsibility," she said. According to Haynes, the gun locks, which retail between $10 and $14, are given out as requested, and no questions are asked. "We don't take names, or ask for an i.d.," she said. "We're simply saying, if you have a firearm, here's a free gunlock, talk to you children about gun safety, and make sure the firearm is in a secured location inaccessible to your child," she said. The 26-foot mobile style truck that will visit the Wal-Mart in Chicopee is one of six trucks that are currently traveling to various states across the country to promote firearm safety. The tour will also stop at other spots in Massachusetts, including other locations in Hampden County, in Berkshire County, and in Worcester. Based out of Albany, N.Y., the program began in 1999 under the name Project HomeSafe, before adopting Project ChildSafe as its official name. The program, which works to achieve its goal of preventing needless accidents from occurring in the home by educating firearms owners on proper handling and storage techniques, has been well received across the United States, according to Haynes. "We have received incredible support from law enforcement agencies across the country who frequently ask for more gun locks and more educational materials," she said. Created and managed by by the National Shooting Sports Foundation and funded through grants from the United State Department of Justice, PCS has distributed over 30 million free gunlocks across the country, according to Haynes. "Thanks to the overwhelming support of our state and community partners, Project ChildSafe has now distributed free firearm and safety kits in nearly every single community in America and in all 50 states," said Doug Painter, president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. We will continue to remind all gun owners to safely store their firearms in the home and to encourage parents to educate their children about firearm safety. The ChildSafe program will take place at the Chicopee Wal-Mart, located at 591 Memorial Drive. Anyone interested in finding out more information on Project Childsafe can visit their website at www.projectchildsafe.org. |