School crossing guards rewarded for their efforts

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on May 26, 2023.

Herald photo by Al Beeber AMA staff Cheryl Kutanzi, Jodi Smith and Ludy Mennie hand out pizza to southern Alberta crossing guards who were rewarded with swimming and lunch at the Cor Van Raay YMCA on Thursday.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

Snow, rain, heat, cold are no deterrents for crossing guards who brave the elements five days a week during the school year to keep their fellow students safe.

About 350 crossing guards from 36 schools across southern Alberta were treated to swimming and lunch at the Cor Van Raay YMCA on Thursday, courtesy of the Alberta Motor Association.

Allison Purcell, the AMA school safety co-ordinator, said the event was a way of showing appreciation for the commitment and leadership shown by the guards who are typically in Grades 4 to 6.

“Today we’re here to celebrate the school safety patrollers that are out on our crosswalks,” said Purcell.

“They’re out on our crosswalks whether it’s snowing, it’s raining…on the hot days, they’re out there as well. They’re out there all year long so it’s our time as community partners to say thank you for the job that you’re doing when you’re out there,” said Purcell.

“Every school is a bit different in terms of when they patrol during the day but most schools will have a patroller go on and they’ll do every day after school or either every Monday they’ll do their shift.

“They’re committed for the whole year so when I go do training with them, I let them know it’s not like basketball or volleyball where you’re like six to eight weeks – this is a full-year commitment. So it does take that commitment from these students that they are leaders in our schools” and role models, added Purcell.

For the students, the appreciation shows the job they do is important, Purcell said.

“Us recognizing them is really important.” And often students will want to do more volunteer work in the future, she said.

Purcell said in the past 16 years she’s seen a huge difference in traffic.

“With the amount of safety issues that we see in the school zones, it’s really important to have our patrollers trained. When they’re out there, they’re making eye contact with drivers because often drivers are distracted – they’re doing other things in their vehicles. So it really is that safety aspect. Our patrollers are out there trained, they know when it’s safe to allow the students to cross,” Purcell added.

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