It has been just over a year since the Statesboro community mourned the tragic loss of Knowledge and Kingston Bailey and their mother Shatasha Fields due to a car accident on the bypass.
In the time since then, family members have turned their tragedy into something good with the establishment of Bailey Boys Car Seats. This non-profit aims to give kids in the Statesboro and Savannah areas a safe ride, saving other families from experiencing a similar heartbreak.
The boys’ paternal grandmother, Gina Bailey-Hearns, has worked closely with local businesses and organizations to provide car seat safety checks, certified installation help, and even completely free new car seats to families in need.
They are truly changing lives one ride at a time.
“It is imperative that we conduct safety checks and car seat giveaways,” Bailey-Hearns said. “We must educate parents that keeping your child safe while riding in passenger vehicles is more than just having a car seat. The car seat must be the right size and fit for the child, but most importantly the car seat must be installed correctly.”
When they hosted their first car seat giveaway back in January of this year, the seats were mostly donated by the community. Then the Kroger on Ogeechee Road in Savannah and the Eichholz Law Firm stepped up to offer additional support.
“Community support really helped us launch,” Bailey-Hearns said. “They were awesome.”
The organization is now primarily sponsored by Safe Kids Worldwide, a non-profit organization that works to prevent childhood injury through research, community outreach, legislative advocacy, and awareness campaigns.
To date, the group has given away more than 50 brand new seats and provided countless safety checks and installations. While they rely on the assistance of local law enforcement and certified safety techs, family members are also leading the way by becoming certified car seat safety techs, too.
In addition, they work to promote car seat safety information on Facebook, reaching even more of the public with important tips for keeping kids safe.
This coming weekend on Saturday, August 31, Bailey Boys Car Seats will host a car seat giveaway and safety check right here in Statesboro, sponsored by Safe Kids Worldwide.
“This looks like it is going to be the biggest giveaway yet,” Bailey-Hearns said. “Our main goal is for each child to leave safer than when they arrived.”
The group will be in the parking lot of Sav-A-Lot grocery store on Northside Drive in Statesboro providing passenger education, car seat checks, installations, new car seats, and raffles. The event will last from 9am-1pm, ensuring plenty of time for all those in need.
This family is on a mission to remind parents that the few seconds it takes to properly secure your child in their seat can truly change your life, and they’re doing it all in honor and memory of those sweet little boys lost.
For more information on this weekend's event or to learn how you can help with their mission, you can email baileyboyscarseats@gmail.com or visit the organization’s Facebook page here.