The third annual County of Aiken/City of Aiken Employee Safety Fair, held on April 21, 2005 at Odell Weeks Activity Center was a huge success. 500 County and City employees came over and enjoyed the free hot dogs & hamburgers cooked by department and division heads as well as going through the various safety related exhibits.

The slogan for this year’s event was “Safety Never Takes A Shortcut” and the slogan winner was Beverly Gambrell from the City of Aiken’s Finance Department. Benny Glover from the City of Aiken’s Public Works department won the grand prize – a $300 check. We also had many other winners of door prizes which included restaurant and store gift certificates.

Displays at this year’s event included the always popular Family MedCenters and Safety Plus, the Coroner’s Office with their oversized casket filled with beer cans picked up from fatality incidents that they respond to, Emergency Services DUI driving course, Sports Plus physical therapy center, and Aiken Regional Medical Centers. Aiken Technical College massage therapy students returned for a third year and provided some very welcome chair massages.

Over 1,000 hot dogs and hamburgers were served at the safety fair along with cookies, potato chips, fresh fruit, and cotton candy. Once again, the cotton candy and the fresh fruit proved to be a big hit!

The County Safety Committee appreciates all the department heads and managers who did such a great job cooking all the hot dogs and hamburgers and the City’s Safety Committee who helped serve the food. We especially appreciate the Detention Center slicing all the vegetables, storing the food prior to the Safety Fair, and providing the inmate trusty crews to help with the setting up and cleaning up. Thank you, City of Aiken, for sharing the Odell Weeks facility with us. Thanks to Barbara Strait for organizing all of the door prizes and to Bernice Heath (Detention Center) and Angela Gunter (Finance Department) for helping out wherever needed. If you have suggestions, please contact any one of the Safety Committee members: Joan Donnelly (chair), Lynn Clarke (vice-chair), Ruth Gordy, Rodney Cooper (Public Works), Robbie Stoddard (Information Technology), Karen Tarbox (Public Service Authority), Steve Hutto (Sheriff’s Office), Tandra Cook, (PRT), and Barbara Strait (Recording Secretary).