FORT WAYNE, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 25, 2003--As part of GE Medical Protective's annual Day of Caring, more than 100 volunteers from MedPro performed a series of Project Safeguard(SM) safety retrofits at four Fort Wayne daycare centers. Those centers are Children's Cottage (2820 Reed Street), TLC (2041 Reed Road), Lamb Ministries (14621 Amstutz Road) and Matthew's House (2305 Goshen Road).
Our employees are committed to giving back to our communities and participating in great programs like Project Safeguard, said Tim Kenesey, President of GE Medical Protective. Whether the risk is from severe weather or acts of violence, Project Safeguard demonstrates how simple, precautionary measures can help communities reduce children's exposure to risks.
During Friday's safety retrofit, MedPro volunteers completed the following tasks at each center:
-- installed safety and security film to windows to diminish the dangers of flying glass
-- replaced light bulbs with shatter-resistant bulbs
-- secured heavy objects that could fall in a disaster
-- spruced up the centers' playgrounds
Following the retrofit, volunteers and contributors gathered at MedPro company headquarters for a ceremony featuring Aren Almon-Kok.
Almon-Kok co-founded The Protecting People First Foundation in memory of her daughter Baylee, who was killed in the 1995 Oklahoma City terrorist attack.
The Pulitzer Prize winning photograph of firefighter Chris Fields carrying Baylee's lifeless body from the Murrah Federal building became a memorable symbol of the Oklahoma City bombing.
MedPro joined with The Protecting People First Foundation for Friday's Project Safeguard retrofits. The mission of the Foundation is to educate the public about the dangers associated with flying glass, which can travel more than 300 feet per second when disaster strikes.
Since its inception in 2000, Project Safeguard has enhanced safety for more than 1,955 children in childcare centers in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Florida and London, England.
Other companies contributing to the safety retrofit were GE Lighting, Madico, Midwest Marketing and Sun Control Center.
GE Lighting provided GE Saf-T-Gard(R) shatter-resistant light bulbs while Madico, Midwest Marketing and Sun Control Center provided safety and security film and installation.
GE Medical Protective, headquartered in Fort Wayne, Ind., is the nation's oldest provider of medical professional liability insurance and has been protecting the assets and reputations of primary healthcare providers for more than 100 years. With over 85,000 policyholders, MedPro is a national leader in its field.
For more information about MedPro, visit www.GEMedicalProtective.com.
GE Medical Protective is a member of the GE Commercial Insurance family, a unit of GE's Employers Reinsurance Corporation (NYSE:GE) -- the world's fourth-largest reinsurer and global provider of risk solutions.
Information about ERC is available at www.ercgroup.com.
Information about GE Commercial Insurance is available at www.GECommercialInsurance.com.
Note to media: This story is a good resource for future weather/disaster-related stories.
Video and photo are available on request.
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Jeff Wilson
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