Ag for Life renews safety agreement

Justin Seward
Times Reporter

 

The Ag for Life organization is all about promoting rural farming safety and how important it is to provinces like Alberta.
The Co-operators, who are an insurance company, have shown recognition of Ag for Life’s efforts by coming on board and providing them with $75,000 towards the expansion of Rural and Farm Safety Days in the province and a three-year partnership renewal.
“We have support through our founding members who came together to support Ag for Life as well as bringing on additional sponsors, in this case, it’s the Co-operators. The Safety Days that we do put on throughout the province are predominantly aimed at children and young farm workers,” said Luree Williamson, Ag for Life CEO.
“We reinforce that safety message, but it’s the continual message to keep ourselves safe. We work with community organizations, stakeholders in the community, schools and Ag societies to host Safety Days and some of the events we actually organize and run ourselves.”
Ag for Life reaches out to large capacity audiences around Alberta. The financial help will allow for additions to the program.
“The financial assistance that come from our sponsor, the Co-operators, we will be able to expand the Safety Days across the province to more communities and schools,” said Williamson.
“The Co-operators take pride in their roots throughout the province and safety is a natural fit for the Co-operators. They were very excited to come on board and to be a part of the safety programming.”
Last year the program saw a very respectable turnout in schools and the hope is to have growing numbers in 2015.
“In 2014, with our funds in the province, through Safety days that we’ve hosted and funded, we reached over 8,000 participants and so we are hoping this year we can take that number and continue to expand on it to 10,000,” said Williamson.
She added that there are groups that want to continue Safety Days in Strathmore, as it would be a great opportunity to come back into the community to reinforce how important safety is.
“With Strathmore expanding, we’re starting to see similar to communities such as Olds, where you’re getting a real blend of urban and rural audiences,” said Williamson.