Sixteenth Annual Child Safety Advocate Awards Ceremony Honors Indiana Residents Making a Difference for Children

INDIANAPOLIS, May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 4th, in conjunction with the 2012 Indiana Injury Prevention Conference held in Indianapolis, Safe Kids Indiana and the Automotive Safety Program honored the efforts of individuals and organizations in Indiana who exhibit true dedication to the prevention of injuries and deaths among Hoosier children by presenting them with Child Safety Advocate Awards. 

There were seven winners selected for this prestigious award. After being nominated by local organizations, winners were chosen based on community involvement, injury prevention activities, and leadership. Among the winners was Dan Barga, of Dorel Juvenile Group and Safe Kids Bartholomew County. 

Dan Barga was chosen because of his ongoing commitment to his local community. He helped establish a Permanent Fitting Station at Dorel Juvenile Group's Technical Center, where parents can make appointments to get their car seats checked and have questions answered about the safe travel of their children. Dan Barga is also the Co-Coordinator of Safe Kids Bartholomew County, which focuses on multiple areas of child injury prevention in the county. Barga is a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician and Instructor. 

Jamie Smith, State Coordinator for Safe Kids Indiana said, "Dan is a valuable resource in supporting child safety, and his enthusiasm is contagious when he works with community leaders. All the local businesses want to take part in helping keep kids injury free in Bartholomew County."

Dorel Juvenile Group was the recipient of the 2012 Partner in Child Advocacy Award. This award is annually presented to a business in Indiana that has demonstrated extraordinary efforts in partnering with other agencies, including the Automotive Safety Program, to prevent child injury. 

Dorel Juvenile Group has invested in education to help parents create safer environments for children, whether at home or traveling. Along with housing the Permanent Fitting Station, Dorel is also the lead agency for Safe Kids Bartholomew County Chapter and brings together community not-for-profits and other businesses to share safety information and coordinate prevention activities.  Dorel Juvenile Group is a division of Dorel Industries (TSX: DII.A; DII.B).           

Cathy Shehan of Family Service in Columbus, Indiana said, "Dorel's dedication to injury prevention is a special quality in today's world of budget cuts. Dorel Juvenile Group not only participates in community fund raising events but conducts fund raisers to benefit local charities. The company's passion for injury prevention shines in all that they do."

Other award winners included the following: Katelynne Edge of Lefler Collision and Glass, Teresa Jones of IU Health Arnett Hospital, Chief Julie Dijikstra of the Nappanee Police Department, the Automotive Safety Team at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, and Alice Blakesley of Safe Kids St. Joseph County and Memorial Hospital of South Bend.

Dorel Industries Inc. (TSX: DII.B, DII.A) is a world class juvenile products and bicycle company. Now in its 50th year, Dorel creates style and excitement in equal measure to safety, quality and value. The Company's lifestyle leadership position is pronounced in both its Juvenile and Bicycle categories with an array of trend-setting products.  Dorel's powerfully branded products include Safety 1st, Quinny, Cosco, Maxi-Cosi and Bebe Confort in Juvenile, as well as Cannondale, Schwinn, GT, Mongoose, IronHorse and SUGOI in Recreational/Leisure.  Dorel's Home Furnishings segment markets a wide assortment of both domestically produced and imported furniture products, principally within North America. Dorel has annual sales of US$2.4 billion and employs 5,000 people in facilities located in twenty-two countries worldwide.

SOURCE Dorel Industries Inc.