The following article appears in today’s Kittanning, PA, Daily Leader-Times newspaper:
WEST KITTANNING, PA — Meet McGruff the CrimeDog, watch a magician and a juggler, go on a buggy ride, or climb a rock wall. All this and more is part of Community Spirit and Drug Awareness Day Saturday from 3 to 8 p.m. at Grace Hall, Grace Brethren Church, Authur Street.
Organizers Cliff and Chrissy Smith and Jim Childs said that the Masons will be there offering child identification services through the Child Identification Program. The CHIP program includes fingerprinting and photographing children, taking a DNA sample and making a video of each child on an audio/video CD.
The CD, fingerprint cards and a DNA kit are given to the child’s parent or guardian to provide information to the AMBER Alert program if needed. Neither the Masons nor police keep any information.
The Kittanning Firemen’s band will provide musical entertainment and Shannock Valley police will display their police car that looks like a race car. Armstrong County District Attorney Scott Andreassi and members of the narcotics enforcement team will appear, as will the Kittanning Elks Drug Awareness trailer.
“We’ll have plenty of food available too,” Childs said. “There will be some free refreshments and those attending will be able to purchase a meal. It will be a fun day and an opportunity for parents to obtain valuable information about drug awareness and crime prevention.”