eddie_eagle@yahoo.com

The Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program teaches children pre-K through 3rd grade important steps to take if they find a gun. These steps are presented by the program’s mascot, namely, “Eddie Eagle”, in an easy-to-remember format consisting of the following simple rules:

• If you see a gun: “STOP! Don’t Touch! Leave the Area! Tell an Adult!”

Begun in 1988, the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program has reached more than 19 million children - in all 50 states. This program was developed through the combined efforts of such qualified professionals as clinical psychologists, reading specialists, teachers, curriculum specialists, urban housing safety officials, and law enforcement personnel.

Eddie Eagle is never shown touching a firearm, and he does not promote firearm ownership or use. The program prohibits the use of Eddie Eagle mascots anywhere that guns are present. The Eddie Eagle Program has no agenda other than accident prevention - assuring that children stay safe should they encounter a gun. Eddie can come to your school by invitation only.

Kenneth Baker - Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program Instructor

2008 Schedule

The NEW 2008 Eddie Eagle Gun Safe Program schedule is NOW OPEN. This is the 10th Anniversary of this program. Please call Ken Baker at (219) 932-6933 to have “Eddie” fly in for a presentation. Already scheduled is Hess Elementary School - with three programs each day in early September.

How many students have participated in the Eddie Eagle program?

1999 – 612 Students
2000 – 1940 Students
2001 – 865 Students
2002 – 5765 Students
2003 – 2600 Students (FIRST YEAR AFTER KEN BAKER TOOK OVER AS PROGRAM INSTRUCTOR THE PROGRAM WITH DOROTHY & CINDY)
2004 – 950 Students
2005 – 3100 Students
2006 – 3300 Students
2007 – 2950 Students
Total Students taught: 22,082 – representing students from EVERY Elementary School in the city of Hammond, plus St. John Bosco and St. John the Baptist Schools.

How Eddie Eagle came to Hammond

Photo: Pam Mamouzelos, Eddie Eagle, and Ken Baker.

Ken Baker and Dave Innes met with Pam Mamouzelos - a Hessville woman who, on September 2, 1998, heard a gunshot, a loud scream, and then, “Oh, my God! You killed my brother!” She went to investigate. Neighborhood kids were walking around with blood and brain matter on them. “Inside the house was a thirteen year-old Scott Middle School boy/student with his head blown off,” Pam said. “He was visiting his twelve year-old friend, the actual shooter.”

Pam later found out that it was the common “thing” for the kids in the neighborhood to get into their parent’s gun cabinet and routinely play with the guns. “None of these kids knew about the danger of guns,” she said. “For every cause, there is an effect.”

Pam and her neighbors got together and sent a letter to then Mayor Duane W. Dedelow Jr. asking what the city of Hammond could do to help prevent a tragedy such as this from happening again. Pam also called Edith Goldbauch (THEN PRESIDENT OF HAMMOND NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME WATCH) who helped get a meeting set up with Sgt. Gerald Granger of the Hammond Police Department. According to Pam, she and Gerry “bonded”. Pam, Granger, and around a dozen or so neighborhood children (FRIENDS OF THE GUNSHOT VICTIM) went to see Mayor Dedelow.

“What do you think we should do?” Dedelow asked them “Draw up a proposal regarding getting a gun safety program started in Hammond, and I’ll do everything I can to help.” Almost overnight, a Gun-Safety committee was formed. This committee found the NRA-sponsored “Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program” on the internet. The cost of getting an “Eddie Eagle” mascot outfit was $1,200 alone. After apporaching Mayor Dedelow with the “Eddie” idea, he graciously donated $5,000 of his discretionary casino gaming revenue.

Other donations came in too, through various events like baked goods tables at the still-occupied Woodmar Mall for the next three years. T-shirts, pins, stickers, coloring books, and little “Eddie Eagle” stuffed mascots were also purchased.

Pam was the only one willing to instruct the “Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program”, beginning in 1999 at the old Harding school, Wilson, Maywood, Lafayette, the Hammond YMCA summer After School programs, Day Cares, Pre-Schools, churches, the Ophelia Steen Center, Hammond’s Area Career Center, a child Health and Safety fair on U.S. 30, and during Safety Village classes at the Hammond Civic Center. Pam offered “Eddie” to any local Crime Watch group(s) or schools throughout Lake County.

Shortly after the Columbine High School tragedy, Sgt. Granger and Pam met with the School City of Hammond, asking, “What are you doing to keep our kids safe, especially from gang activity?” Concerened also about gang “colors”, she and Granger organized a Student Fashion Show. Students were the “models” for different “uniformity of color” examples through the “French Toast” uniform company. Colors used in the fashion show wore navy, white, and khaki. This show was sponsored by “This is It” in the Black Oak/Gary area.

During the Scott Middle School 8th grade graduation ceremony, Pam presented a plaque in memory of “Chris”, the student who lost his life.

For personal reasons, Pam slowly began retiring through 2000/2001. She did, however, receive a beautiful “Service” plaque from Hammond Neighborhood Crime Watch. “Crime Watch isn’t about one person,” Pam said.”It’s about everybody - neighbors helping neighbors - and being a good neighbor. You don’t necessarily have to belong to a neighborhood crime watch group. Just be observant! Be the eyes and ears of our police department.”

Because of the efforts of Pam and others, uniformity of color/dress codes is now being discussed throughout the School City of Hammond, in addition to having entrances and exits to school buildings “numbered” or “lettered”. There are numerous Neighborhood Crime Watch groups throughout Hammond, including the official website http://www.hammondcrimewatch.com/. The “Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program” is still being taught, educating children on the four basic rules should they ever find a gun, namely, “Stop! Don’t Touch! Leave the Area! Tell an Adult!”

Special thanks to Mike Swiger for helping “Eddie” fly in for a photo with Pam and Ken.