Approximately 350 youths in southern Alberta are celebrated for volunteering as school safety patrol officers, May 25, 2023. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Southern Alberta youths celebrated for protecting school safety

May 25, 2023 | 1:33 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Approximately 350 youths from across southern Alberta are being recognized for their efforts to ensure everyone at their schools can stay safe.

The youth are volunteers with AMA’s School Safety Patrol program and were invited to the Cor Van Raay YMCA in Lethbridge for a free swim and pizza party.

AMA School Safety Patrol Coordinator Allison Purcell said the children all worked hard and deserved to be celebrated.

“They know that volunteerism is important and that’s why they signed up for this,” said Purcell. “I think just us recognizing them is really important to say, ‘keep doing this job.’ Often, these kids go on to do more volunteer work in their future.”

She explained that the volunteers are out on school crosswalks for the entire school year.

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“They’re committed for the whole year, so when I go and do training with them, I let them know that it’s not like basketball or volleyball where you’re six-to-eight weeks, it’s a full year commitment,” said Purcell. “It does take that commitment of these students that they are leaders in our schools and we want them to be out there, being a role model of the commitment that they’re making.”

Cooper Orr and Corbin Tobler, both Grade 5 students at W.A. Day Elementary School in Fort Macleod, are among the program’s many young volunteers.

The pair said it is important for everyone to do what they can to keep people safe. They talked about what they have learned after being safety patrol officers for a full school year.

Orr said, “Safety is really important, and making sure that nobody gets hurt is good.”

Tobler adds, “I’ve learned, kind of, there’s more to [life] than just going home and sitting on the couch.”

Jillian Johnston volunteered with the School Safety Patrol program when she was a child. She said she learned a lot of valuable life lessons that have helped her out later in life.

“It taught me responsibility and how to be safe on our streets,” said Johnston. “I was really excited when I learned how to really look for cars and how to make sure that my friends and I can cross the street and watch out for each other.”

Johnston told media that it was great to see how many young Albertans are still interested in volunteering.

AMA reports that more than 11,800 patrollers are enrolled in the School Safety Patrol program, including more than 500 in Lethbridge and the surrounding communities.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now