Daily News

Basketball Hall of Fame to Host Annual Kids Safety Expo on July 30

SPRINGFIELD — In 2015, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) assisted law enforcement with more than 13,700 cases of missing children. Seeing the worth of increased awareness of the importance of safety for children, businesses throughout the Pioneer Valley have teamed up to produce an educational event.

The eighth annual Kids Safety Expo, slated for Saturday, July 30, will be free and open to the public. Event organizers include Market Mentors, LLC; 94.7 WMAS; Sports Radio 1450 the Hall; and the Masonic Youth Child Identification Program. Additionally, the event will feature complimentary bicycle helmets for the first 500 children attending, thanks to the generosity of AAA.

“We are grateful to partner with local businesses throughout Western Massachusetts. Initiatives like the Kids Safety Expo aid parents and give them valuable resources to keep their children safe,” said Michelle Abdow, president of Market Mentors, the full-service advertising agency and producer of the event. “We want children from our region to become the thought leaders of our next generation. The first step in making this happen is teaching kids the importance of safety education. The next step is to show kids the value of giving back to the community. This is something that is near and dear to our hearts at Market Mentors.”

For more information and pictures from past years’ events, visit kidssafetyexpo.com.