Saturday is going to be a fun-filled day of educational safety activities in Carbon County.

County and state officials are finalizing plans for the annual Community Safety Day. It is hosted by state Sen. John T. Yudichak, the Carbon County commissioners, Kid Zone Blue Mountain Health System, Carbon Masonic Lodge 242 and the Nolan Ritchie Stay Afloat Foundation.The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine, on the grounds of Mauch Chunk Lake Park and is free and open to all Carbon County families.Community Safety Day is a community event that promotes safety for everything from riding a bicycle, roller blading to boating.Mindy Graver of Kid Zone and one of the main organizers of the event, added that there will be something for everyone that day.Agencies and organizations will be set up throughout the park to educate children and their parents about various safety issues, including water safety, animal safety, fire safety, bicycle safety, poison control and more.There are over 20 agencies signed up to participate, as well as volunteer fire companies, medical helicopters and other groups holding hands-on activities from face painting to child identification packets. The always popular coconut crusher, which teaches the importance of helmet safety, will also take place throughout the day with free helmet fittings to follow the demonstrations.A special presentation honoring Carbon County's police officers who have gone above and beyond the normal call of duty while working with area youth will also take place during the opening ceremony.Brad Hurley of state Sen. John Yudichak's office, said that they will present the Community Police Officer Award, which will honor one police officer from each department in Carbon County, as well as a state police officer from the Lehighton Barracks."We appreciate everything that our police officers do for us in Carbon County and throughout the commonwealth and this ceremony will serve a small token of our gratitude," he said.Food and light refreshments will also be available to families.Last year, more than 1,000 people attended the four-hour event.Volunteer groups are also welcome to put in service hours."Volunteers play an important role in pulling this off," Graver said, noting that this year volunteer groups include the Masons, the Junior ROTC from Panther Valley, the Jim Thorpers and Girl Scout Troop 3112 to name a few, but more are always welcome.For more information on volunteer opportunities, call Graver at 570-325-2788 or email

mjg26@psu.edu.The Carbon County Community Safety Day grew into what it is today through a joint collaboration between the Masonic Lodge, Carbon County Commissioners and the former Carbon County Safe Kids, now Kid Zone.The event was previously known as the Carbon County Fun-N-Safety Fair and held on Fifth Street in Jim Thorpe, but after a number of successful years, the event outgrew the location.In 2013, Yudichak partnered with the groups and the event was moved to its current location at the lake.Since 2013, the Community Safety Day has grown in size and popularity with families and is made possible through business donations and dozens of volunteers.