Injuries are a leading killer of children. This Richmond hospital is trying to change that

RICHMOND, Va. — The Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU hosted its 22nd annual Summer Safety Fair Thursday morning at Chimborazo Park, giving children the chance to learn about health and safety through hands-on activities.

The event ran from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and was held in partnership with the City of Richmond Parks and Recreation.

Corri Miller-Hobbs, the hospital's pediatric injury prevention outreach and education coordinator, said the fair is designed to help children stay safe while still encouraging them to grow and develop through everyday activities.

"We're hoping that we can teach kids a little bit about health and safety, help them to have some fun today, and learn how to grow and develop in a safe way," Miller-Hobbs said.

She said the event is rooted in a sobering reality about child health.

"Injuries are a leading killer for children, we know that. And while people can become very scared about the activities their kids are partaking in, we want them to learn and grow and it's important for their development to be able to do various activities," Miller-Hobbs said. "But we also know that there are real safe ways that they can go about participating in these activities."

FULL INTERVIEW: Children's Hospital of Richmond hosts biggest summer safety event

The goal, she said, is ultimately to keep children out of the hospital.

Chimborazo Park was chosen for its open space and its place within the Richmond community. Miller-Hobbs said the partnership with the city allows children to experience a new part of Richmond while enjoying the outdoors.

"It's a beautiful park and we're fortunate to partner with the city of Richmond Parks and Recreation," Miller-Hobbs said. "It gives us an opportunity to have the kids outside and be in the fresh air, seeing a new part of the city and also having lots of space to run around in and have fun."

For many children, the fair offered experiences they had never had before.

"It's exciting. The kids get very excited about it," Miller-Hobbs said. "For some kids it might be their first bike helmet that they're receiving. It might be their first time getting to touch a fire truck and interact with a firefighter. So we want them to be interacting and seeing all of these different opportunities and see the smile on their faces."

She recalled one moment that stood out from a previous year's event.

"We had one child one year who said that this was the best day of his life," Miller-Hobbs said. "It was so exciting to be a part of that and get to enjoy those moments with them, get to hopefully make a difference in their life to help them live long, happy, safe lives."