With giveaways, local vendors, fire truck photo-shoots and free safety checks, the Citrus Town Center hosted a Safety Fair on Saturday — drawing kids, families and shoppers to the annual Citrus Heights event.
Odds of winning an 11 a.m. raffle by the fire department for free home safety equipment were high, due to only a handful of entries — but things had picked up by the second noon-hour raffle, according to the Department’s booth manager.
Area resident Kristin Pickett waited in a line of cars to get a free child seat safety check performed by the Citrus Heights Police Department.
“It was wonderful,” said the young mother, after Officer Dave Jones took several minutes to verify her child’s car seat base was securely fit and the straps tight. “It was great of them to be giving up their Saturday on this extremely hot day.”
Free bike safety checks were also offered by police, with officers available to provide brake checks and chain adjustments, as well as helmet and seat adjustments.
“There’s still too many kids that ride their bikes without their helmets,” said Sergeant David Gutierrez with the CHPD Traffic Unit, adding that half-way through the event they had been able to provide a few free helmets and fittings.
Handing out free Quick Quack car wash vouchers, Chaplain Frank Russell with Law Enforcement Chaplaincy Sacramento manned a table hoping to recruit new volunteers for his organization which offers “compassionate crisis care” and counseling for law enforcement workers and community victims of trauma or crime.
In addition, Sunrise Marketplace, Sprout’s and several other local businesses took part in the event, along with a cartoonist who offered free caricature drawings to a constant line of excited attendees.
Saturday’s Fair was one of many activities the Citrus Town Center sponsors throughout the year, as part of its goal to foster a “community feel” for the neighborhood shopping center. In 2012, the former “Sunrise Festival Shopping Center” finalized its nearly $4 million remodel, featuring new landscaping, store frontages, outdoor seating areas, and a prominently displayed new name at the corner of Greenback Lane and Sunrise Avenue.
