The struggle to make cribs safe for babies will get a boost as supporters of the Danny Foundation climb Mount Shasta in July for the second annual Crib Safety Summit. Last year the hikers reached the summit of Mount Whitney, raising more than $1,600 for the foundation’s Project Safe Crib.
The project works to educate families and caregivers regarding crib safety. The Danny Foundation has donated more than one thousand new safe cribs to families in Northern California and Arizona in the last three years.
The Danny Foundation was established in 1986, two years after 23-month-old Danny Lineweaver of Alamo strangled when his shirt became twisted on the corner post of his crib. He suffered permanent brain damage and died Oct. 3, 1993, after a life of therapy.
Danny Lineweaver was the 21st child in the United States to suffer this type of accident in the 13 years since the federal government began keeping the statistic. But the Danny Foundation was the first to tackle the problem. Initial funding came from the settlement of a lawsuit by the family against the crib manufacturer and the store that sold them Danny’s crib. The foundation works with safety coalitions, hospitals, manufacturers and families throughout the United States to make sure that every child sleeps in a safe crib. As the foundation’s scope has broadened, it has come to depend on individual donations.
The hikers are soliciting pledges while they train for the climb up 14,162-foot Mount Shasta. To learn about sponsoring, call Craig LeMessurier at (800) 83-DANNY (833-2669). For more information, visit www.dannyfoundation.org.
