Sheriff’s office sends kids a message about guns

Editor's note: The safety tip for the month of December is provided by Mifflin County Communities That Care and the Mifflin County Sheriff's Office. This is an ongoing monthly series provided by CTC to help educate the public about key areas of concern.

LEWISTOWN - Eddie Eagle says if you see a gun you should: Stop! Don't Touch! Leave the Area! Tell an Adult!

This is the message the Mifflin County Sheriff's Office, in partnership with the National Rifle Association, has been sending to the children of Mifflin County for the last four years.

In late 2003, a young child was shot and killed by an older child in Mifflin County. This senseless death prompted the Mifflin County Sheriff's Office to act and educate the children that reside in the county.

The sheriff's office was aware of the NRA's "Eddie Eagle Gunsafe Program." The office contacted the NRA and in 2004 held a gun safety fair at the LUMINA Center, introducing Eddie Eagle to Mifflin County. In addition to the Eddie Eagle presentation, free gun locks were available to the public and Mifflin County Regional Police Sergeant Mike Moyle presented the Gun Safety in the Home seminar.

In 2005 the LUMINA Center asked the Sheriff's office to bring Eddie Eagle to the Rainbow Summer day camp program, which is offered every year by the center.

During the summer of 2006, the office obtained a grant that has allowed it to spread Eddie Eagle's message to every child in kindergarten through third grade in Mifflin County. It approached the Mifflin County School District, Sacred Heart School, Mifflin County Christian Academy and Belleville Mennonite School, and began going to the schools to get Eddie Eagle's message out.

What is Eddie Eagle's message and how does he get it out? Deputies from the sheriff's office go to the various schools in Mifflin County, and talk to the children and ask them what they do to stay safe. Answers range from wearing helmets when riding a bike to not playing with matches to wearing life vests when boating. It then is explained to them the deputies are there to talk to them about gun safety. It is explained how some real guns look like toys and some toys look like real guns, and how on television someone will be hurt by a gun and but the next week, that character is fine because this is just make-believe. The children then watch a seven minute cartoon that introduces them to Eddie Eagle and his message.

After the cartoon, a deputy will have a few of the children that were paying close attention to come forward and do the Eddie Eagle Shuffle. This is a dance the children do to reinforce Eddie Eagle's message of "Stop! Don't Touch! Leave the Area! Tell an Adult!"

The deputy tells the children that he or she heard that Eddie Eagle was going to be flying over the Mifflin County area today and if they say Eddie Eagle's message loud enough ,maybe Eddie Eagle would stop and pay them a visit. It is at this point that a very shy 6-foot bald eagle enters the classroom.

The children then do the Eddie Eagle Shuffle with Eddie Eagle, and a number of scenario stories are told to give examples to the children.

After three or four stories, it is Eddie Eagle's time to leave, and the deputy tells the children to go home and tell their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and anyone else they can think of about Eddie Eagle's message.

Since 2006, the Mifflin County Sheriff's Office has taught the NRA's Eddie Eagle Gunsafe Program to about 1,700 children. Also, in 2007 and 2008, The Eddie Eagle message has made an appearance at the Juniata County Probation Department's safety fair.

The sheriff and his staff look forward to continuing to offer this important message to Mifflin County's children.

Chris Shade is a deputy with the Mifflin County Sheriff's Office.