HOULTON, Maine — The Aid for Kids annual Educational Fair will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 22, at the John Millar Civic Center.
This free event features a variety of activities for youth. Among the many presenters are the Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers from Bar Harbor who will present two shows (11 a.m. and 1 p.m.)
The American Red Cross will have the Emergency Response Vehicle for families to explore and also will have pinatas, activity packets with crayons and Fire Safety Bingo.
Representatives from the Hancock and Aroostook county sheriff’s offices are offering an Iris Scan, a biometric recognition service that is used for the purpose of identifying and locating missing children or vulnerable adults. The human iris is absolutely unique, even between twins. An individual needs only to look into the computer and tt takes about 15 seconds to scan the iris. This new technology can identify a child within seconds.
The Texting Simulator from the Maine Department of Public Safety will be available to help reinforce the importance of not texting and driving. The simulator is a teaching tool that allows the participant to drive and try to text at the same time on a computer to see the consequences of texting and driving. In addition, the department will have the rollover simulator on hand to teach the importance of wearing seat belts to help avoid serious injury in a rollover.
The Maine Forest Service will be on site with a helicopter that families can tour and find out about the mission of that agency’s service. Representatives also will have Safari in a box, using pelts and animal tracks, to teach participants about wildlife.
Cheryl Quint, a child passenger safety technician, said vehicle crashes are the number one killer of children. Studies show that three out of four car seats are installed incorrectly. A booth will be set up and information made available to ensure that parents are installing seats correctly.
A Life Line, a large animal rescue and rehabilitation program based out of Smyrna, will bring “Joy,” a donkey that had life-saving surgery last year after many donors helped make it possible.
The Maine Discovery Museum in Bangor also will be on hand with its science lab. Children will get to play with invisible forces like rays, magnets, and electricity, and make a cool science toy to take home.
For more information about the fair, contact Danette Ellis at dmellis@myfairpoint.net.
