MEDIA RELEASE

Ronald McDonald’s famous red shoeprints will once again make an appearance across the state as part of this year’s McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii’s Pedestrian Safety Decal Installation Program.

Over the past three years, McDonald’s will have installed 66 decals in more than 50 elementary schools.

The program is part of the State of Hawaii’s Pedestrian Safety Awareness Month in August and is supported by the state Department of Transportation (DOT), the state Department of Education and all four county governments.

“We are happy to support a traffic-safety program that encourages our keiki to stop and look both ways before crossing a street,” said Melanie Okazaki, regional marketing manager of McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii. “If we can influence just one child to practice safer habits while crossing the street, we are helping to fulfill the goal of this program.”

During this month, 31 of Ronald’s bright red shoeprint safety decals will be installed at 25 elementary schools across the state. The shoeprints are accompanied by a bold message in red and yellow reminding students to “STOP” and “LOOK BOTH WAYS” before crossing the street.

Big Island schools include:

* Chiefess Kapiolani Elementary
* DeSilva Elementary
* Haaheo Elementary
* Kalanianaole Elementary
* Kaumana Elementary
* Keeau Elementary
* Keaukaha Elementary
* Laupahoehoe Elementary
* Waiakea Elementary
* Waiakeawaena Elementary

“We sincerely appreciate McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii and Ronald McDonald for their work in the community,” said Laura Vines, Kalihi Kai Elementary School principal. “Ronald’s famous red shoeprints are a fun way to help our children practice safe habits while crossing the streets around our school.”

Younger children are particularly vulnerable to motor vehicle collisions, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Center for Statistics and Analysis.

The Hawaii Pedestrian Toolbox May 2013 report explains that because children have a shorter field of vision due to their small stature, children are less able to determine the direction, speed and distance of oncoming sounds and are sometimes too small to be seen by motor vehicles traveling at a fast speed or by inattentive drivers.

The safety decals will be installed with partner Grace Pacific at elementary schools near intersections that have been identified as “areas of concern” by the DOT’s Statewide Pedestrian Master Plan.

— Find out more:
www.mcdonalds.com