Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2001
 

THE ONE DOGHOUSE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY SHOULD BE IN
"Home Safety Hound" takes his home on the road to teach kids how to avoid household injuries

WILKESBORO, N.C. - You may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but you may want to take a look at what one special dog is teaching your children about home safety.

Rover, the Home Safety Hound, is opening the doors to Lowe's Great Safety AdventureÒ-his giant doghouse-for a nationwide tour where visitors can embark on an educational journey of their own. Because one in every four children is injured seriously enough to require medical attention each year, Lowe's Home Safety Council, which created Rover and the traveling exhibit in 1999, aims to teach children to be aware of common hazards in the home. The Great Safety Adventure visits elementary schools, public venues and Lowe's stores so children and families can learn how to spot dangerous safety hazards in their homes and correct them.

Roughly the size of a small house, Rover's 1,200 square-foot animated home unfolds from two semi-tractor trailer trucks to create a replica of a living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and backyard. Children and parents are transformed into safety rangers as they join a quest with tour guides and Rover himself to find all of the hidden safety hazards.

"I had fun trying to find all of the dangers in Rover's home-like making sure the smoke alarm worked in his bedroom," said Kyle Lunsford, a second-grade student from Columbus, Ohio. "I really want to help my mom keep my little sister and big brother safe in my house now, too."

The Adventure

During Rover's open house, safety rangers are on the lookout for hazards such as: poisonous cleaning supplies in easy-to-reach cabinets; protruding pot handles on the stove; and an electric hairdryer treacherously close to a sink with running water. Rangers also learn the importance of having working smoke alarms in their homes, and to design and practice a fire escape plan with their families.

The adventure ends when a smoke alarm sounds and actual smoke fills the hallway outside of Rover's bedroom. Rangers have learned Rover's fire escape plan moments before, so they are quickly able to crawl through the smoky hallway to safety outside. Children who tour the exhibit are not only having fun-they're also learning important life-saving lessons.

Saving Lives

Last summer, 6-year-old Katie McAtee of Kennesaw, Ga., visited Rover and the Great Safety Adventure at a Fourth of July celebration. Two weeks after touring the exhibit, Katie was playing with toys in her family's basement playroom when she noticed a strange gasoline-like odor in the air. She quickly found her father and alerted him to the scent that led him to a discover gas leak in their garage-his new riding lawnmower had a faulty tank and was trickling fuel onto the floor. He cleaned up the hazardous material promptly and has his young daughter to thank for helping to avert a potential disaster.

"I called my daddy over just like they told me to at the Great Safety Adventure," said Katie. "Now I can play in my playroom and not have to worry about getting hurt."

At Schools

Educators and school administrators also commend Lowe's Home Safety Council's efforts in sponsoring and implementing the Great Safety Adventure. The exhibit's hands-on approach helps children retain important safety messages.

"When the exhibit came to our school, it was a wonderful experience for the kids-they all had wide eyes with big smiles on their faces," said Isaac Barcelona, a director within the Palmdale School District outside of Los Angeles. "Our district motto is 'Shaping the Future,' and Lowe's Great Safety Adventure fit right in with that message."

Committment to Success

Lowe's Home Safety Council, a non-profit organization created by Lowe's Companies, Inc.-the world's second largest home improvement retailer-continues to build upon the existing Great Safety Adventure program. After last year's launch of a second Great Safety Adventure tour, Rover and his two traveling doghouses are set to travel throughout the United States through December 2001.

"Receiving such positive feedback about this program reaffirms Lowe's Home Safety Council's strong commitment to helping children and families in our communities," said David Oliver, executive director of Lowe's Home Safety Council. "Our goal is to create safer American homes, and we aim to expand our efforts and reach even more people with our message this year."

Since the Great Safety Adventure began in 1999, the exhibits have visited nearly 200,000 children in 200 cities. The 2001 tour was launched in January and will travel to cities nationwide through mid-December. For an updated schedule of tour dates and locations or to take a virtual tour of the exhibit, consumers can visit loweshomesafety.org.

Lowe's Home Safety Council

In 1993, Lowe's founded Lowe's Home Safety Council with the vision of creating safer American homes. For more information about the Council's initiatives and home safety, consumers can visit the Council's Web site at loweshomesafety.org. For free home safety brochures, they can call 1-800 SAFE HOME.

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