The Cupertino Courier

Community

Health and Safety Fair is now official annual event

By Cody Kraatz

The city council has given the Cupertino Health and Safety Fair its official stamp of approval and adopted it as a city event to be held annually on the fourth Saturday in August. This year it is scheduled for Aug. 25.

"Last year we had a very short time to prepare for this event. We worked so hard to get it done in the time frame that we had, which was about five weeks," said Fari Aberg, a public safety commissioner who chairs the Cupertino Health and Safety Fair committee this year.

With the city's support and more time to line up partners and sponsors, Aberg expects a lot more people this year. "Last year we called people. This year we have calls coming in."

The city has not had an event like this on a large scale since 2003, and it is the commission's duty to educate the public about health and safety, she said.

Aberg estimated about 400 people attended last year's safety fair in October. The commission created an organizing committee in December.

The fair is geared mainly toward kindergartners through eight-graders, but organizers are talking to local high schools to include those students, too.

The bike rodeo was a popular event last year; it put about 60 children on a bike safety course in the City Hall parking lot. Volunteers taught the children about steering, braking, wearing a helmet and other safe practices.

This year, Aberg said, it will be put on by State Farm, which operates a nationwide bike rodeo program as part of its community relations program.

The council will consider a budget item for approximately $6,500 for the fair at its June 4 budget hearing.

Glenn Goepfert, assistant director of public works, presented the fair organizers' request to the council, but with a word of caution.

"You should recognize that as far as policy, the approval of a budget recommendation for the fair will set a precedent. In setting this precedent other commissions or others who ask for something during budget could say, 'We have requests as well.' "

The biggest costs are $2,000 for a banner to hang over Stevens Creek Boulevard, the $330 fee to do so, $950 to use the library soccer field and $2,000 to reserve the Community Hall and Cupertino Civic Plaza for eight hours. Also, a city supervisor would have to be there during the day.

Part of the reason for wanting to come under the city's umbrella is the challenge of obtaining insurance for an event like this. With city sponsorship, the city provides that insurance.

The organizing committee includes public safety commissioners, bicycle and pedestrian commissioners, the Santa Clara County sheriff and Marsha Hovey, the city's emergency services coordinator.

The Community Emergency Response Team, the Santa Clara County Fire Department, county health officials, Cupertino block leaders and the Teen Commission were on hand last year and are likely to help out again. Invitations will also be extended to El Camino and Kaiser Permanente hospitals.