Fri., Nov.7, 2003

Bish Foundation and Mount Wachusett Community College to Establish Molly Bish Institute for Child Safety

(GARDNER)—Mount Wachusett Community College President Daniel M. Asquino and John Bish announced the establishment of the Molly Bish Institute for Child Safety at Mount Wachusett Community College today.

John is the father of Molly Bish who was taken three years ago while working at Comins Pond in Warren, MA. Her remains were found three years later, just five miles from her family’s home. Since that time, her parents John and Magi Bish have worked tirelessly to promote child safety through the Molly Bish Foundation (www.mollybish.org).

John Bish has worked to distribute child I.D. kits at the college since 2002. “It has been my dream to establish an institute for child safety that would feature very practical, pragmatic safety information for parents,” said Bish.

Bish had explored the idea of the institute with the college during a Child Safety presentation at the college, Tues., Oct. 28. He said he hopes to help educate parents and families about a variety of safety issues including gun locks, car seat installation and seatbelts for children. “I want to give families the opportunity to learn about these topics in a very hands-on way,” said Bish. Massachusetts Senator Stephen Brewer, who also presented at the Child Safety Presentation congratulated MWCC President Asquino and the MWCC Board of Trustees for supporting the institute. “We all have a stake in the protection of children,” Brewer said. “There is no higher priority.”

John and Magi Bish were honored by the college at its first Decade of Civic Engagement Best Practices Conference in June, 2003 for, “their tireless efforts to build knowledge of child safety in the community.”

“ The college is proud to be working with the Bish family. We hope that by working with other community partners, we can offer a series of training sessions that support the Bish Foundation’s mission,” said Asquino.

An advisory board, chaired by Bish, will oversee the work of the Molly Bish Institute for Child Safety. The board will be comprised of community partners that are actively involved in child safety issues.

The Molly Bish Foundation, will provide complimentary Child Identification Kits to parents, Sat., Nov. 22 from 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m.. These kits are used to keep a child’s current photograph, fingerprints and identifying data together in a readily accessible location. For additional information concerning the Child Identification Program or the Molly Bish Institute for Child Safety, contact Emily Ball at (978) 630-9564.

Lea Ann Erickson , Director of Community Relations
Phone: (978) 630-9322
Fax: (978) 630-956
Email: l_erickson@mwcc.mass.edu

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