by Christina Gotuaco

Larger imageThe SCEC tent is set up to promote the ShakeOut and to encourage earthquake preparedness.

On September 21st, 2008, the West Adams Neighborhood Council in Los Angeles hosted the Vineyard Neighbors' Day Street Festival and Health Fair at the Vineyard Recreation Center and park. The goal of the annual event is "fostering economic support, community interaction and celebrating unity through our diversities", which it did with the presence of a variety of booths, as well as through live poetry readings and live music. Several tents held food vendors, while others ranged from specialty teas and healthy recipe books to McCain and Obama campaign tables. A temporary skate park was set up along with a waterslide and a small space museum to entertain the children.

Larger imageNeighbors’ Day volunteers and other exhibitors from the fair stop by the SCEC booth to get some information and an earthquake safety kit.

The Southern California Earthquake Center set up tables at two adjacent booths – one with information on SCEC and the Southern California ShakeOut, mainly aimed at parents and other community individuals, and the other with printed earthquake activities for children to do while their parents learned about the ShakeOut.

The children's table was arranged with printouts of a plate tectonics puzzle and a Pangaea flip book, along with other materials such as scissors, markers, and crayons. There were also several coloring sheets with images of people doing a drop, cover, and hold on drill for younger children to color. Children came to the table throughout the morning and early afternoon to color and cut out either a flip book or a puzzle while their parents learned about earthquake preparedness and the ShakeOut at the adjacent SCEC booth.

Larger imageA Neighbors’ Day volunteer photographer documents the SCEC booth.

About 100 new families, community groups, and individuals signed up to be registered for the ShakeOut, which takes place on November 13th. Every person that registered themselves or a group was given a free earthquake safety kit. The kit contained a furniture strap, photo hangers, a gas tank wrench, an emergency blanket, light sticks, a small first aid kit, a whistle, and several other earthquake safety supplies.