Hundreds of Bronxites turned out for the 6th Annual Child Safety Fair hosted by the Office of Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, held at the Baychester Community Center, located at 1220 East 229th Street in Edenwald on Saturday, April 15.

Outside the community center the NYPD shutdown Schieffelin Avenue where a basketball station and a bouncy house was set up for the daylong event. Dozens of tables were set up inside and outside the center as various city agencies and local nonprofits provided information on healthcare and various programs. There were also some free giveaways.

Other groups in attendance included NY Life insurance company, the Fresh Air Fund, a nonprofit which organizes sleep away camps in New York’s Mid-Hudson Valley area for kids who visit volunteer host families along the east coast in the summer and learn new skills, experiences and perspectives, the NYPD Community Affairs bureau, the 47th Precinct Explorers Program, the NYPD’s Police Action League (PAL), and Montefiore Health System.

Attending the event for the first time with his 4-year-old son Michael, Odell Allen of Edenwald said of the event, “I heard about it through the president, Sandra Gross, from the community center. She informed us that this would be here and actually it’s a great event!”

Allen continued, “He’s going in the bouncy house right now. I visited the tables and I spoke to a few individuals who had a lot of different things [to share].” He added, “All of the festival’s festivities were great.”

Meanwhile, “Dr. Sencha,” a clown dressed as a doctor, was busy assisting two children as they tried their hands at balancing a plastic disc on the end of a long stick. Dr. Sencha and her partner “Dr. Yadontsay” were with Healthy Humor, a group based at Jacobi Hospital where they spend their days cheering up sick and injured children.

Cosponsoring the event with the Bronx District Attorney were The New York Yankees, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, and the NYPD. Demonstrations were held on bicycle safety, fire safety, and bullying prevention. Guests also enjoyed free food, music and arts and crafts.

Clark said of the event, “I am glad to host our annual Bronx Child Safety Fair, which will provide parents and children with important safety and life-saving information.” She added, “Our mission is to keep our children safe and empower our communities to prevent harm.”

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.