A local union is helping to put smiles on children's faces by getting them behind the wheel of a fleet of mini vehicles.
Unifor Local 444 has donated $7,500 to the The Safety Village in Windsor, to purchase 11 powered mini jeeps to help teach children about road safety and injury prevention. The program is also coordinated by the Windsor Police Service.
Constable Cealia Gagnon with the Windsor Police Community Services branch, says thousands of Grade 2 children attend the program learn about pedestrian safety, traffic signs and signal recognition in a fun way.
"Without donations like this, The Safety Village wouldn't be able to continue these free safety programs for our community," she says. "We have over 8,000 kids that come through here and in 13 years, this program has been our number one favorite.
A group of kids got the chance to test out the new fleet on Friday, and Gagnon says their smiles are what make the program worth while.
"That's why I come here every day," she says. "It's a lot of fun for me to do this with them."