The City of Lake Charles has teamed up with Union Pacific to promote railroad safety to area youth.

Throughout the summer months, area elected officials and dignitaries, along with representatives from Union Pacific and Clifford the Big Red Dog will be visiting summer enrichment programs citywide to read the new Scholastic book, Clifford and the Railroad Crossing.

The program kicked off Tuesday, June 11, as Mayor Nic Hunter, representatives from Union Pacific and Clifford the Big Red Dog made a special visit to Bellard Recreation Center.

“This summer we’ve made a concerted effort to revamp our summer recreation program so it can help bridge the gap between one school year and the next for our youth,” said Mayor Hunter. “We have a number of active rail crossings in the City and this partnership with Union Pacific allows us to start teaching children important safety lessons at a young age.”

Union Pacific provided 300 copies of the book, created in partnership with Safe Kids Worldwide, to the City for use with this initiative, and these books will be read and distributed to students throughout the summer.

“Union Pacific and Safe Kids Worldwide share a commitment to making communities safer for children and families,” said Union Pacific's Senior Director of Public Affairs Drew Tessier. "This book is a great tool, allowing families to have fun, engaging conversations about how to stay safe around railroad tracks."

For more information on the City’s ongoing youth outreach efforts, visit www.cityoflakecharles.com/youthoutreach.