'Keep Kids Alive, Drive 25' promotes safety
OMAHA, Neb. -- Do you have children who play in the streets? If so, one campaign wants to help you to reach drivers, and avoid tragedies.
"I was not planning to start a nonprofit at all," said Tom Everson, Founder, and CEO of Keep Kids Alive Drive. "I was concerned about the speed of traffic in front of our own home."
A protective father, Tom Everson and his wife founded the Keep Kids Alive, Drive 25 in 1998, to safeguard their own children, after a study by the Omaha Police Department.
"They did a speed study in our neighborhood [...] the slowest was 15 but the fastest was 57 in a 25 zone," he said.
Originally, Everson only wanted to add speed bumps to their neighborhood.
"That was not the solution because as you see we live on a hill and if you add a speed bump on a hill it can be more dangerous," he said.
Then, Everson had a different idea.
"We have a neighbor a couple of doors down who said I know who you are, [...] he goes you're that guy with a sign in front of his house and every time I go past it I put my brakes on," Everson said.
The group sells those signs now, even decorating trash cans with the logo.
Everson said he wants to hammer down the dangers of habits like cell phone use; not wearing seatbelts, or drinking and driving -- to prevent fatalities like that of Hector Jimenez.
"My brother Héctor, he is the oldest of 4, he was like a father to me. He died in a motorcycle accident; this organization has given me the support that I have needed to be able to help others," said Alejandra Jiménez, campaign promoter. [dubbed]
Jiménez said she hopes Keep Kids Alive, Drive 25 continues to prevent tragedies.
"This organization is more than a group of people; we are like family," Jimenez said