BELLEVUE, Wash. — It takes commitment and dedication to be a AAA School Safety Patroller. For some elementary students, the Patrol is their first taste of responsibility and their first time to serve in a leadership role. Each year, AAA Washington recognizes 10 School Safety Patrollers who have shown selfless service, leadership and the dedication to brave all types of weather to protect the safety of fellow students who are heading to and from school.
For going above and beyond the call, these 10 outstanding patrollers in Washington State to be inducted into the 2017 AAA School Safety Patrol Hall of Fame. The 10 School Patrollers will be recognized at an evening awards ceremony held before a Seattle Mariners game at Safeco Field on Saturday, May 20.
As a long standing tradition, AAA Washington and a panel of judges from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Washington Traffic Safety Commission select top patrollers from schools across Washington each year and honor their accomplishments through induction in the AAA School Safety Patrol Hall of Fame.
Patrollers are evaluated and judged on their commitment to traffic safety, citizenship, leadership skills, and contributions to school safety patrol programs. Nominations require input from both the patroller and their advisor, including responses to a series of essay questions.
2017 AAA School Safety Patrol Hall of Fame Inductees:
- Peter Fleisher, Frantz Coe Elementary, Seattle
- Shane Haslett, Logan Elementary, Spokane
- Ally McCarty, Poulsbo Elementary, Poulsbo
- Journey Mohn, Columbia Valley Elementary, Vancouver
- Maddison Morgan, Olympic Elementary, Longview
- Sarah Parker, Cascade Ridge Elementary, Sammamish
- Ashleigh Swartz, Ritzville Grade School, Ritzville
- Britta Thomas, Highland Terrace Elementary, Shoreline
- Carly VanGiesen, Broad View Elementary, Oak Harbor
- Ashlyn Van Gorkom, Horace Mann Elementary, Redmond
AAA School Safety Patrol Advisor of the Year:
Irma Guerrero-Kusmirek, Tukwila Elementary, Tukwila
Irma Guerrero-Kusmirek from Tukwila Elementary will be recognized as the 2017 AAA School Safety Patrol Advisor of the Year. The AAA School Safety Patrol Advisor is critical to the success of their school’s Safety Patrol Program and this award recognizes the Safety Patrol Advisor for their years of dedicated service to the children, the school and the community. Guerrero-Kusmirk’s recognition is part of the annual AAA School Safety Patrol Hall of Fame celebration.
AAA created the School Safety Patrol more than 90 years ago. The Patrol has been credited with being a major contributor to the substantial reduction in traffic related fatalities of school age children.
