Out of thousands of entries, a St. Aidan’s eighth grader’s artwork has been selected to support the LIRR’s quest for safety – This time, in the form of a pair of socks.
Marielle Benedetti was this year’s winner of the LIRR’s island-wide S.O.C.K.S, or Saving Our Communities by Keeping them Safe, competition. Her winning design has been printed on a pair of John’s Crazy Socks, which Benedetti’s classmates will receive.
For the past decade, the LIRR has held a similar annual safety design competition through its longstanding safety awareness and education program, T.R.A.C.K.S., or Together Railroads and Communities Keeping Safe.
“We operate a lot of trains. There’s a lot of grade crossings,” said LIRR President Rob Free. “It’s a dangerous environment for us, and we want to make sure that there’s heightened awareness and sensitivity to the dangers that are there.”
“Reaching out to these schools is an incredible program, because the younger generation speaks the language to their peers,” he added. “It gives them a sense of pride in participating in this, in winning something. Others can see that and say, ‘Hey, this is an important subject. I’d like to participate as well.’ It creates this safety culture, so to speak.”
Every year, LIRR representatives and safety officers come to St. Aidan’s and over 100 other schools to teach students how to stay safe on and near the trains.
The program, which is over 40 years old, also travels to camps, driver’s education classes and other community spaces across the island to provide information on how to stay safe around the railroad. Free said it has been effective at increasing safety near the tracks.
Benedetti, who has heard the presentation throughout her years at the school, said she thought the competition and program were important and effective.
“It helps the community be more mindful of safety and rules, like ‘mind the gap,’” Benedetti said.
The T.R.A.C.K.S. program started in 1982 after a van full of Herricks students was hit by a train at a crossing that has since been removed from the system. Nine out of the 10 students driving the van died, LIRR Chief Safety Officer Lori Ebbinghausen said.
Ebbinghausen said the program is focused on educational outreach, particularly targeted at students, as well as data collection and analysis so that the LIRR can track if an uptick in injuries occurs in a certain area and make necessary changes.
“It’s a very comprehensive approach to ensure that we’re doing our best for the neighbors,” Ebbinghausen said.
She explained that the school competition portion of the program started 10 years ago in an effort to more tangibly reinforce the importance of safety to students. It involves thousands of students drawing up a safety-focused design and message after hearing the T.R.A.C.K.S presentation at school.
Winners get their entry placed on something the MTA can hand out to riders or publicly display, like stickers, banners or even public service announcements at stations. Since the competition’s inception, St. Aidan’s has had three winners.
Ebbinghausen said the LIRR chose to partner with John’s Crazy Socks this year because they were a staple on Long Island and supported the special needs community.
“We do a lot of training for schools and students that have different abilities,” Ebbinghausen said. “They just fit with our mission.”
Physical education and health teacher Mary Ann Luti, who helps run the competition at St. Aidan’s, said she believes it effectively engages students with the lessons they learn from the LIRR safety representatives.
“The LIRR comes in, they talk about safety, but then when the students do this project, they really understand why it’s important,” Luti said. “Some of these kids are traveling to the city. Some are going into school in the city. Some kids get on trains and go out east. It’s very important that they understand, and this competition makes them understand how important safety is.”
