Townsville To Stage 'Empty Shoes' Event For Fatality Free Friday

Townsville is the latest city to join the Fatality Free Friday campaign on 28 May and is hosting its own “empty shoes” awareness event.

This event is being hosted by the Graduate School of Motoring.

331 pairs of empty shoes, each one representing the life of a person killed on Queensland roads in 2009, will be lined up in Townsville’s Strand Park from 7am on 28th May 2010. “It will be a very dramatic and moving display that will bring the human impact back to the statistics that we hear time and time again,” says Russell White, founder of Fatality Free Friday.

All schools, individuals, businesses and community organisations in Townsville are encouraged to support this campaign and come along to “take the pledge” of commitment to road safety. Individuals can also log onto the Fatality Free Friday web site and register their pledge of commitment.

“Often when people are affected by road trauma they feel they want to do something to make a difference, but are often unsure about what they can do,” said Russell White. This event gives the people of North Queensland the chance to be involved.

There will be a free sausage sizzle barbecue being supplied by Heath Ward and his dedicated team at Graduate School of Motoring for anyone wanting to come along to show their support.

Mr Ward said “We want to do our part in supporting Fatality Free Friday and encourage everyone in the area to think about road safety.”

“We need to continue to raise awareness on the issue and this campaign gives us a fantastic foundation to build on” he said

TecNQ have kindly offered to be a collection point for shoe donations, as is Graduate School of Motoring in Boundary Street South Townsville. Any shoes donated that are still useful will be given to local charities at the conclusion of the event. I encourage you all to pass this email on to anyone that you think may be interested in participating, and supporting this event.

Heath and his team are very committed to the Fatality Free Friday mission. This event gives everyone in the Townsville area to the chance to come together and show their support for safer driving, safer roads and a zero road toll.