For elementary school students, the school day can be more than reading and math class. It can also involve saving a life. AAA recently honored seven elementary school students from around the nation, including two from the area, for helping people while working as safety patrollers. The patrollers watch out for the safety of pedestrians around their schools before and after the school day, AAA spokeswoman Kristin Nevels said.
Paul Hardin, an 11-year-old who attends Canterbury Woods Elementary School in Annandale, and Kamryn Mendell, a 10-year-old at Fox Chapel Elementary School in Germantown, were among those who received the organization’s lifesaving medal.
Paul stopped an adult woman from stepping into oncoming traffic on Feb. 2, 2010, according to AAA. Paul warned her to stop as she approached the crosswalk, but she continued into the street. He then stepped into the crosswalk to grab her arm to stop her from walking into traffic. A car was less than 10 feet away at the time.
Kamryn earned the award for preventing a first-grader at the school from walking into the path of a moving school bus on Sept. 28, AAA said. When a student stepped into the school’s busing area, Kamryn used one arm to block others from moving into the street while using the other to pull the student out of the bus’ path. The bus driver was turning a corner, didn’t see the student and continued driving as Kamryn pulled the student, who was within five feet of the bus, to safety.
More than 600,000 students in 31,000 schools across the country volunteer as safety patrols in the AAA program.
The lifesaving award is given to “students who have saved a life during their time on patrol,” Nevels said.
A total of 399 students have received the award since 1949. This year’s winners were received the medals in a ceremony on Capitol Hill last week.
