Tampa Is…?

Nine year old Jordan Hays was killed at the Plant City Christmas Parade. He was walking alongside his church’s float and tossing candy to the crowds when the horrible tragedy happened. He got caught under the wheels of the float as he reached for more candy to throw.

Parade rules say children younger than 10 should ride on the floats rather than walk alongside “if at all possible.”

Plant City investigated the death, and have a good handle on what happened:

• Jordan “Booka” Hays was too young to walk the parade route.
• The float’s design partly was responsible for his death.
• The boy’s death was preventable but was not caused by parade spectators crowding the float.
• Rescuers responded to the accident in a reasonable amount of time. Paramedics reached Hays in less than six minutes.
• No reckless behavior led to the death.
• Other safety recommendations posed for consideration include a shorter parade route, capping the number of parade participants and moving the Christmas Parade from night to day. It also recommends city officials ban the distribution of beads and candy in parades.

If I am encouraging or even allowing my ten year old child to walk in a parade, I am personally going to be right there making sure nothing happens. If the float setup looks funky or dangerous, she’s not walking near the thing. She certainly won’t be heading toward a wheel to grab more trinkets. Yeah, hindsight is 20/20, and we can chalk this up to a horrible, terrible accident.

It sounds to me as if parade organizers and city leaders did their parts in preventing this death. Simply put, those adults on and around the float did not properly supervise the child. Unfortunately, Plant City doesn’t have the guts to say that (maybe because it’s a church float?). In fact, the city is nearly begging to be take some of the blame.

In a unanimous vote Monday night, Plant City commissioners decided to ban distribution of candy and beads at parades.

That’s just crazy. What kind of lame parade will that be? What kid is gonna want to go watch a parade to watch old people drive by, with no chance of getting even a butterscotch? Why not just kill the entire affair instead?

Banning candy is not going to stop another kid from walking in the wrong spot. I wouldn’t think I have to spell this out, but… Stopping kids from walking in the wrong spots will stop another kid from walking in the wrong spot.

Jerry and Connie Hays have created a foundation in memory of their son called Jordan’s Wish, which will collect toys for less fortunate children. Plant City businessman Johnny Knotts, one of the first to reach Jordan after the accident during the Christmas parade, has volunteered to collect donations, including cash, checks, toys or stuffed animals, at his hardware store. Donations and toys can be dropped off at Knotts Trading & Supply at 314 S. Collins St. in Plant City.

The Hays family has also established a trust fund for monetary donations at Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union. Checks can be made payable to Jerry D. Hays Jr. or Connie L. Hays and dropped off at any credit unit branch, or mailed to Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union, Attention: Member Service Support, P.O. Box 11904, Tampa FL 33610.