It took Pat Dean about an hour to get ready Saturday night.
First, she put on a layer of white foundation, followed by glitzy blue fake eyelashes and a squishy, ruby nose. With the snap of her red-striped suspenders, she became Tootie the Fire Safety Clown.
A member of Gainesville Fire Rescue, Dean was one of more than 300 who attended the third annual Halloween-themed Screaming for Safety event at Kiwanis Safety City.
"Too many kids end up in the ER," Dean said. "Halloween is a very vulnerable time for everyone."
Dean handed out balloons and painted princess and Gators designs on the faces of children trick-or-treating at the event. But behind her smiley clown getup, she had a message.
While painting, Dean talked to children about the dangers of playing with lighters, matches and candles, throwing in a brief lecture about the difference between tools and toys.
About 20 organizations had tables and representatives at the event, including the Child Advocacy Center, Safe Kids and Operation Immunization. In trick-or-treat fashion, children donning costumes went to each table, scooping up candy and handouts about safety.
Parents joined in on the fun, trailing behind their respective vampires and fairies while picking up pamphlets containing safety tips.
Debora Regan, Safe Kids outreach coordinator, said Halloween is the deadliest day of the year for children younger than 14.
Regan also handed out information about bicycle safety, reinforcing the importance of wearing a helmet.
"I tell the kids, 'You can't go to Wal-Mart and get a new brain,'" she said. "'No more video games. You won't be able to drive a car. Your life will change forever.'"
The event topped off with a costume contest, turning the south strip of Kiwanis Safety City into a catwalk for kids clad in homemade and store-bought costumes alike. Prizes included lollipops, T-shirts and flashlights.
Jan Cheah's son John, 5, won the 3-to 5-year old category. Dressed as a Tyrannosaurus rex, he growled down the runway, crawling on his hands and knees at one point while making dinosaur-like gestures.
"He thinks he's a T. rex," Cheah said. John nodded in agreement.
But even T. rex isn't immune to the accidents that put a child's safety at stake.
"We used to call things that happen accidents, but almost all accidents can be prevented. They're incidences," event coordinator Krista Gonzalez said.
"So really, we want to prevent incidents from happening."
