Donations Sought for Car Seat Program

As part of a nationwide effort to raise awareness about the importance of car seats for children, a Saugus couple is calling on San Fernando Valley residents to donate 2,500 car seats to local hospitals.

The effort by Mark and Sue Younger is part of “Operation Baby Buckle,” a four-year campaign by Primerica Financial Services to donate 25,000 car seats annually throughout the nation.

“We have three children, so we see the importance of this cause,” said Mark Younger, 36. The Youngers also called the effort “a great opportunity to give back to our community.”

The Youngers are national sales managers for Primerica Financial Services in Sherman Oaks. They have three daughters, ages 6, 5 and 2.

The car seats, which are purchased at a discounted cost of $15 each, will be donated beginning next year to hospitals in states, such as California, where state law does not allow newborns to be released without a car seat. Most of the car seats will go to low-income families.

According to SafetyBeltSafe USA, more than 77% of children less than 1 year old in California are not seated in proper car seats when in a car. This figure worsens as children grow older: More than 78% of children ages 1 to 14 ride unsafely.

In California last year, 59 children under the age of 4 were killed because they were not buckled up or were incorrectly buckled up. More than 70,000 American infants and children are hurt or killed in car crashes annually.

The local effort follows last year’s pilot project where White Memorial Medical Center in Los Angeles received 450 car seats from Primerica Financial Services agents.

People wanting to donate funds for the car seats are urged to contact the Youngers at (818) 788-7926.