Sarah Martin has been a safety patrol officer for 25 years. She started in safety patrol when she was a 4th grader at Ellen Hopkins Elementary. Building on the safety knowledge and leadership experience that she received as a student in the program, Martin now teaches Ellen Hopkins students how to help their peers. In this program, students help their classmates safely maneuver crosswalks and the parking lot to and from school.
The safety patrol program at Ellen Hopkins Elementary teaches students the importance of safety and gives kids first-hand experience. Over 50 fourth-grade students participated this past year.
Noticing the need for safety lights in the parking lot on dark winter mornings, Martin recently applied for a grant. The grant was approved and the school received a check for $500 from AAA to fulfill the need for safety lights and other equipment.
The AAA Safety grant promotes safety and community resources for schools. The AAA School Safety Patrol Program started over 100 years ago and today is active in more than 35,000 schools nationwide. The AAA School Safety Patrol Charles M. Hayes Advancement Fund, administered by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, awards 10 $500 grants each year to help schools improve their safety patrol programs. Officials from AAA presented the check to Ellen Hopkins. “We want to make sure we are supporting the schools,” the official said. Over the years, AAA has supported Moorhead schools by giving equipment and merchandise to students.