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WHEREAS the safety of children remains a major concern throughout the United States, with frequent reports of child abductions and violent crimes committed against children occurring in most metropolitan and rural areas; and
WHEREAS in September of 2000, the untimely and violent death of Scott Drake, a youth from Pittsburgh's East Allegheny neighborhood, spurred Allegheny General Hospital and its Auxiliary organization, in conjunction with the North Side Leadership Conference and two, local high school students, to create the Stranger Danger Awareness Program, in order to educate the Northside's youth regarding the risk involved when interacting with unknown persons; and
WHEREAS since its inception, the Stranger Danger Awareness Program has succeeded in educating 2,000 children from nine different elementary schools, all of which are located on Pittsburgh's Northside; and
WHEREAS currently in its sixth year, this year's program is working with elementary school students from the Morrow Elementary School, the Martin Luther King Accelerated Learning Academy, and the Allegheny Traditional Academy; and
WHEREAS during the month of March, these children will receive instruction from Allderdice High School, Oliver High School, and Perry Traditional Academy students, who will emphasize the importance of stranger awareness, over the course of three, interactive sessions; and
WHEREAS on Thursday, April 12th and Friday, April 13th, David Grover and the Big Bear Band, a popular children's musical group, will give a performance to conclude the Stranger Danger Awareness Program for the year 2007.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby wish to commend Allegheny General Hospital, its Auxiliary organization, the Northside Leadership Conference, and local, elementary and high school students, along with their teachers, for their commitment to educating local youth and making their lives safer through the Stran...
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