Safety education was the main event for children on Saturday at Mauch Chunk Lake Park.

The annual Community Safety Day was held, which featured prizes including bicycles, giveaways such as bicycle helmets, coloring books and other fun objects, free hot dogs, popcorn and other refreshments, intriguing demonstrations and even an unscripted juggling display by a special guest.

Scores of people attended the four-hour event on the beach and in the main parking lot at Mauch Chunk.

The Jim Thorpe and Albrightsville Fire Departments had their apparatus at the site, allowing visitors to have hands-on experience with them.

“This is wonderful,” said Traci Dowlinger of Gilbert who brought her two young children. “I think my kids had a great time and learned a lot. Everybody here was so attentive and caring. I’m glad we came.”

In attendance was Page Weinstein of Pittsburgh, Miss Pennsylvania 2024, who helped to demonstrate the importance of wearing bicycle helmets and who personally greeted the youngsters and posed for photos with them.

She also did an impromptu juggling routine using three coconuts.

Weinstein said including her visit to Carbon County, she has now visited 46 of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania.

She is employed by Delta Air Lines as a flight attendant and is studying to obtain a pilot’s license.

The coconuts were used in a device called the coconut crusher. She and Carbon County Commissioner Wayne Nothstein used the crusher to show how bike helmets protect the skull.

A coconut was placed inside a case that had a tall handle attached. It had a bike helmet placed on it and then a large, heavy piece of metal was dropped through the handle. It hit the helmet and no harm was done. The helmet was then removed from the coconut and again the weight fell onto the fruit. This time the coconut was split wide open.

“It’s extremely important when we’re out there riding our bikes or playing sports to wear a helmet,” Nothstein stressed to the children.

Attendance was lower than most Safety Day events held in the past but that was attributed to a threat of rain. Despite sometimes thickening clouds, only a few drops of rain periodically fell. Most of the time the event was held in sunny conditions.

Jerry McAward of Jim Thorpe River Adventures and Lehighton Outdoor Center, demonstrated to visitors the proper method of wearing life vests while on boats or in the water.

In addition, representatives of the Nolan Ritchie Foundation handed out water safety materials. Ritchie was 7 when he drowned in a swimming incident in 2012.

Refreshments were served by the Masonic Lodge. They included hot dogs, popcorn, potato chips, iced tea and bottles of water.

Suzanne Smith of St. Luke’s Hospital handed out tubes of toothpaste and other dental related materials. She said she was promoting the hospital’s dental van, mental health resources and pediatric line.

Several of the exhibitors had roulette wheels which youngsters spun to obtain a prize.

Pathstone of Lehighton was present with literature connecting individuals to their services, including early childhood education. Representative gave crayons, coloring books, sunglasses, water bottles and backpacks.

Carenet, a support group for women, gave away bottles of water and handed out education literature.

Carbon County Kids Zone offered containers of PlayDoh, coloring books, crayons and candy.

The Carbon-Monroe-Pike Drug & Alcohol had tote bags, bracelets, Narcan, Rx destroyers and offered prizes to children.

The Pa. Department of Health also distributed materials.

Carbon-Monroe-Pike Mental Health Development Service had crafts for kids and prizes.

Community Safety Day was sponsored by the Carbon County Commissioners, State Rep. Doyle Heffley, State Sen. David Argall and Kids Zone.