WV Farm Bureau Magazine April 2016 | Page 6

Nationwide’s Make Safe Happen® Program Commits to Empower One Million Safety Actions Matt Nicol Sponsor Relations Account Executive Nationwide 614-359-7342 [email protected] Dear parents and all of those caring for children, I have the pleasure of serving as chief marketing officer of Nationwide, but I view my most important role as being a good father to two bright and active boys. Like most parents, raising healthy and welladjusted children is my number one priority. While I take great joy in watching my sons grow, each new stage of childhood brings new risks and worries for their safety – be it on the playing fields, at school, or even in our home. According to our recent survey of more than 1,000 parents with children under 13 years of age, 93 percent think that, compared to other locations, their home is the safest place for their child1. It’s not every day that we think about the potential safety risks in our own homes as the most serious. Unfortunately, accidental injuries, such as poisoning, drowning and home fires, are the leading cause of death among children2. I also now know that nearly 50 percent of these accidents actually happen at home3. Because of this, Nationwide continues our mission to raise awareness and to help parents take action to keep their children safe. at events across the country, through the app, and through the tips and resources on our website. We know more needs to be done. According to the survey, the majority of parents (69%) are looking for more updated information on today’s child safety issues. So, this year, with the guidance of our Advisory Council, Make Safe Happen will focus on educating caregivers on four critical at-home safety risks. They are: furniture and TV tip-overs, poisoning, drowning and fire. These serious, complex and potentially fatal issues require greater attention and understanding, which is why we are eager to inspire one million safety actions by the end of the year. We believe this is a lifesaving goal that we’ll track throughout the year at MakeSafeHappen.com. To reach our goal, we want to share lifesaving information with parents, and help communities and homes that need it most. In partnership with our newest Advisory Council member, the American Red Cross, we will install fire alarms in houses and provide grants for youth swim lessons in high-risk, In February 2015, Nationwide launched Make Safe low-income communities across the country. Happen, a program dedicated to driving awareness and action around accidental childhood injuries. At We encourage you to take your own action today that time, we started a conversation on this important, by downloading the app, watching a safety video or but also very difficult, issue. Since then, I’m proud attending one of the Make Safe Happen safety events to share that we have made significant progress to that will take place across the country in 2016. And, empower parents and families in the U.S. to improve of course, help us inspire more parents and caregivers home safety behaviors. We convened a Make Safe to take action by spreading the word on social media Happen Advisory Council – an esteemed group of using #MakeSafeHappen. injury prevention and child safety experts from media outlets and leading nonprofits, such as Safe Kids As a parent and long-term Nationwider, I am Worldwide and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Together, we’ve educated hundreds of thousands see NATIONWIDE, page 20 6 West Virginia Farm Bureau News