4/10/08
Brain Minders gets kids thinking about head and brain safety
By Jerriod Grizzle

Submitted Photo

Ann English and Irene Brewer lead kids at the Manning Early Childhood Center to put their hands over their hearts while making a pledge to be safe at last week’s Pilot Club Brain Minders program.

Filled with hope, dolls and potential promises to be safe, 240, 5-year-olds participated in “Brain Minders,” March 31 at the Manning Early Childhood Center.

“Brain Minders” is a national program held in conjunction with the Clarendon County Pilot Club and is designed to teach young children about brain safety.

Through the use of skits, stuffed animals, puppets and a variety of other props, children learned from some wild animal friends about how to help care for their brains.

“In the skit, children learn the importance of wearing a helmet when biking, fastening their seatbelts and playing where ground surfaces are not concrete,” said Pilot Club member Margaret Robertson.

Robertson led a class on brain safety dressed as a wise owl to teach the kids about wearing a helmet when they ride their bikes.

Children received coloring sheets to reinforce the safety concepts and they also took a pledge of safety to take care of their brains.

They received a certificate in order to show they “graduated” from the program.

“We made them shake hands in order to promise us to take care of themselves and held the mock graduation to make them feel special,” said Robertson.

The Clarendon Pilot Club participates in a variety of community-oriented activities. The Caregivers’ Morning Out program is a weekly program held at New Covenant Presbyterian Church, that allows primary caregivers the opportunity to leave their Alzheimer’s patient/loved ones in the care of professionals while the caregivers relax.

“It is for everyone really, it gives the caregivers time to shop, run errands or just have some quiet time,” she said.

Robertson said that the “Morning Out” program is an opportunity for homebound individuals to have a little social time.

“They do riddles and crafts. They sing. It all depends on what they can do mentally and physically,” she said.

Local fundraisers, which benefit Alzheimer’s patients and Alzheimer’s research, include a yard sale in May and a bazaar in November. Pilot Club members also sell “Clarendon Collectibles,” home décor items that feature buildings in the county.

The Clarendon Pilot Club was chartered in 1992. Pilot International has a membership of more than 25,000, comprising 500 clubs in five countries.

Anyone who wants more information about Caregiver’s Morning Out program is invited to call the Program Director Judy Allen at 481-2814.