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| Children at St. Joe's Have Fun While Learning About Safety  Cloudy skies and light rain didn’t stop the children at St. Joseph’s Home for Children from having a good time at St. Joe’s safety fair and barbeque. Director Keith Kozerski said the event’s focus was to educate the children about the importance of safety in their everyday lives.
The children stacked their plates with as many hot dogs, hamburgers and ears of corn as they could balance. They also received a special treat from former St. Joe’s resident Kevin Hart.
Hart, 43, stayed at St. Joe’s during the summer of 1982 and now owns Culver’s franchises in Bloomington and Shakopee. He doled out frozen custard and a seemingly unlimited array of toppings to show his gratitude for the help St. Joe’s gave him.
“I like coming back to St. Joe’s and helping out whenever I can,” Hart said. “St. Joe’s has meant a lot to me.”
A Special Guest
In addition to learning about wearing sunscreen, crossing the street and the dangers of smoking, the children met a special member of the Minneapolis Police Department: a one-year-old German shepherd named Tadhg. Curious children swarmed Officer Becky Hodgin, the dog’s owner, who did her best to answer their onslaught of questions.
“Where’d you get him?”
Slovakia.
“How much does he weigh?”
About 80 pounds.
“Does he bite?”
Only the bad guys.
The children also had the chance to talk with firefighters and explore a fire truck from the Minneapolis Fire Department’s station No. 17. They climbed inside and outside the truck, inquiring about the functions of the different valves, gauges and levers.
“The kids like to sit in the front seat and touch all the buttons they’re not supposed to touch,” Capt. Jeff Ostberg said with a smile.
Kozerski called the event a success and said St. Joe's plans to do it again in the future. “It was great. The children were happy, learning. That’s what we’re about,” he said.
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