Fourth-graders help KDOT celebrate Kansas Day!

In a pre-celebration of Kansas Day, last Friday, 17 Chanute fourth-graders arrived at the southeast District KDOT office bearing unique gifts. 

These creative students from Chanute shared what they loved about Kansas with KDOT crews in southeast Kansas last Friday. 

Each student had crafted a small collage of photos showing what he or she loved most about Kansas, ranging from animals to sunflowers to EVERYTHING!

Chanute fourth-graders help raise a new state flag at the southeast Kansas District Office 

The clever collages are now displayed in the office window. During the visit the kids also gathered at the front flagpole to switch out the weather-worn official Kansas State Flag with a new state flag. Assisted by district staff, they toured a dump truck and then posed in the parking lot appropriately outfitted with safety vests, hard hats and sign paddles.

Chanute fourth-graders toured the southeast Kansas District Office and wore safety vests while holding up signs frequently used in the job. 

 Although outdoor conditions were chilly, the field trip to KDOT ended on a warm note. Class members returned to the office lobby for juice, cookies and goody bags containing Kansas highway maps before boarding the bus back to school.

Creative campers participate in the Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day poster contest

Creative kids used crayons, markers and colored pencils to create their safety messages for the Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day poster contest. 

By Deb Gruver
South Central Kansas Public Affairs Manager

Armed with crayons, colored pencils and markers, students at a recent arts camp at CityArts in Wichita dove right in to the poster contest for Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day.

“Miss Deb, does this look good?” was an oft-repeated question by the smallest kiddos in the group – one of whom made sure everyone knew she was 6¾, not just 6.

So was “Miss Deb, how do you spell ‘buckle’?”

A camper works on their poster entry.

Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day is Oct. 10. The annual campaign seeks to bring awareness to lives lost on roads. About 37,000 people die in traffic crashes each year across the United States.

Campers said they always use their seat belts and tell their parents or other caregivers to use theirs. They made a promise to nag their parents or caregivers about putting their cell phones away.

After a brief lesson on safe driving, the students created posters showing drivers and passengers safely buckled into their seat belts, drivers looking intently at signs and lights and cell phones X’d out because driving while distracted is a huge cause of fatal and other crashes.

A group of campers create posters for the Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day contest.

The poster contest gives Kansas children ages 5 to 13 the chance to win prizes such as a Kindle Fire tablet, gift cards and movie passes. Judges will select regional winners in three age categories – 5 to 7, 8 to 10 and 11 to 13. Then, they will choose three statewide winners from the 18 regional winners. Each regional winner will receive a bicycle and helmet from the Kansas Turnpike Authority and Safe Kids Kansas. Statewide winners will each receive a Kindle Fire tablet and case from the KTA, a $50 Amazon gift card from the Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association of Kansas, a $50 Walmart gift card and movie passes from AAA Kansas.

Entrants must submit their art on 8.5”-by-11” paper and use paint, crayons, pencils, pastels and collages. Computer-aided drawings aren’t allowed.

Entries must be postmarked by Sept. 21. More details about how to enter are available at http://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/events/brakesonfatalities/2018_PBFD_PosterContest.pdf.

A video contest is open to Kansas and Kansas City metro teenagers in eighth through 12^th grades. Videos must focus on themes such as distracted driving, wearing seat belts and texting while driving and be between six and 60 seconds. Videos are due by midnight Sept. 30. The submission form is at https://www.ksturnpike.com/contests/ptbof-submission-form.

Touch a Truck event provides fun for all ages

The Touch a Truck event hosted more than 1,500 children and families and gave them a chance to experience a variety of important vehicles in person. 

More than 1,500 children and families had the chance to see and experience 30 vehicles on display at the Touch a Truck event last Saturday in Finney County. The event, which was hosted by the Finney County Public Library, hosted 24 organizations, including the Kansas Department of Transportation.

KDOT employees from the Garden City Sub Area stand in front of a KDOT dump truck.

The event kicked off with the arrival of the Life Team helicopter and included lunch for those attending and volunteers.  People of all ages seemed to enjoy seeing the vehicles up close. Children who attended the event interacted with KDOT vehicles by honking the horns and exploring the equipment. 

Young children explore the inside of a KDOT vehicle during the Touch a Truck event held in Garden City on July 1. 

Lisa Knoll, the KDOT Public Affairs Manager for Southwest Kansas, said that KDOT crew members answered questions and taught visitors about how the vehicles are used and how they help keep Kansas moving in various situations.

"The first thing most kids did was go straight for the loader," Knoll said. "They were intrigued with sitting in the loader and they loved honking the horn. We also showed them the dump truck.”

Knoll said that KDOT would love to participate in an event like this again if the opportunity arises.