Safety Village Names 25th Anniversary Logo Contest Winner

fourth-grader said she’s always loved to doodle and draw.

Now her art will also help make a difference. 

selected one of Dina’s drawings to be its 25th anniversary logo, which will appear on T-shirts and pamphlets throughout summer 2012.

Safety Village Director Cindie Hagen said the decision for the selection committee was easy.

“When I first saw (Dina's picture), I really welled up to see a child do it so beautifully,” she said.

Dina filled a bright red stop sign with all sorts of images and safety reminders. She said she drew a street around the border of the sign because kids need to watch for traffic when they’re walking in the road. Along with sketches of bike helmets and stoplights, she included adages such as “stop, look and listen.”

Hagen founded Safety Village with her husband, Dave, after their son, Mark, was struck and killed by a car while crossing the street on a family vacation. 

“We thought, ‘What better way to help prevent some accidents?’” Cindie told Patch last year. “We knew we couldn’t prevent every accident, but if we could prevent some we could do that in Mark’s honor.” 

Depending on the age group, Safety Village’s classes run anywhere from five to nine days. The curriculum covers all aspects of safety, from stranger danger and water safety for the little kids to first aid and Internet safety for the older ones. 

With how many distracted drivers there are these days, Hagen said emphasizing safety is more critical than ever. 

“The thing that scares me is the phones,” she said. “We’re living with (accidents) happening as fast as I can go over and touch (Dina).”

Stacey Tantillo, Dina’s mom, said that safety lessons are part of everyday life in her household.

“Even now when we’re crossing the street downtown, I grab her hand,” Tantillo said. “She’s my one and only and she’s precious.”

Safety Village will officially celebrate its anniversary with a fun fair and picnic on August 19.

Space is still available in this summer’s classes. View the schedule by clicking on the photo box above. For more information, visit http://www.safetyvillageofdarien.org.