Safety Saturday offers Happy Meals with a side of fingerprints

Johnston Sun Rise ·

Safety Saturday!

At the newly renovated McDonald’s of Johnston, Saturday was more than Sausage McMuffins, Big Macs, Quarter Pounders with cheese or french fries.

It was a valuable lesson in safety, focused on keeping kids as safe as possible in today’s world, courtesy of the Crisafi family that recently pumped $700,000 into renovating the Golden Arches at 1377 Atwood Avenue.

Dozens of people showed up at McDonald’s Saturday to first take part in Safety Saturday and second to enjoy a breakfast or lunch and to see the new ordering kiosk and perhaps have some table service, as well.

“This is great community relations,” Richard J. DelFino III, the Johnston Town Councilman who represents District I, said while placing an order and sitting with his son Richard J. IV. “Congratulations and hats off to the owners and our Johnston Police Department for holding this highly important event.”

DelFino was speaking about what the Crisafi family did in contacting the JPD to help with Safety Saturday, a three-hour session that included 100 parents having their children fingerprinted just as the councilman did with his son.

“We held this event because it is so important, now more than ever, for children and adults to understand how to stay as safe as possible,” said Jennifer Liggett, owners Peter and Linda Crisafi’s daughter who along with her husband Phil is part of the US Parents ownership team. “As the mom of two small boys, I worry about their safely so I planed this based on information I thought was the most important for them to learn.”

As Liggett said while greeting DelFino and his son, “I also think it’s important for children to understand that the police are not the enemy but a friend.”

DelFino III, as well as Johnston natives like Vin Jackvony, was impressed with the fingerprinting and table that was covered with information focused on internet safety, school safety, how to handle bullying, fire safety and what to do if a stranger approaches a child.

The JPD contingent was headed by Capt. Richard Norato and included officers Chuck Psilopoulos, Bob Hay, Luca Lancellotti and David Slinko. Slinko, in fact, was impressed with the kits parents received during the finger printing that included a bag for a hair sample that could provide law enforcement with valuable DNA during a search.

Stephanie Burgess and her husband came from Blackstone, MA to take part in the day and told her children it is important to do things such as finger printing so that she can save them in case the police ever needed them. She explained that if they ever went missing, the police could use their fingerprints to help find them.

Safety Saturday was held in conjunction with the unique 12 days of promotions the Crisafi family held with the Grand Re-Opening of McDonald’s on Atwood Avenue that is designed to show customers the “Experience of the Future” replete with self-ordering kiosks, table service and mobile order and pay.

Through tonight, for example, it’s March Madness and among the highlights will be a free Sundae with any Happy Meal Purchase.

Fun Fry-Days is tomorrow and will include Story Night at 6 p.m. Switch It Up Saturday and SuperHero Sunday will conclude the grand re-opening events, all of which are on a poster inside the new McDonald’s.