Coronavirus shuts down annual Safety Fair

By Brandi Makuski

Plover’s annual Safety Fair has been called off.

The annual family affair, sponsored Plover police and fire departments, and hosted by Mark Toyota of Plover, will resume in 2021.

“‘Safety’ being the keyword in ‘safety fair,’ it just made sense to not hold it this year, to make sure everybody stays home and stays safe,” said Tim Durigan of Mark Toyota, who helps organize the event.

The event was scheduled for May 9, and typically includes child fingerprinting by the Portage Co. Sheriff’s Office, face painting, rescue tool demonstration, fire safety house, motorcycle and boat simulators, and hands-only CPR training. K-9 dogs, an emergency vehicle display, and food are also part of the fun.

Durigan said Portage Co. has so far managed to avoid a major outbreak of the coronavirus, but he feels that holding a public event with no clear end to the pandemic in sight could put the health of the public, and emergency services personnel, at risk.

“With the event having so many members of the police and fire departments in the same place, we didn’t want to chance it,” Durigan said, “and anyway, they are on high alert and are going to have their hands full for quite a while. But we will have it again next year.”