GEDDES, N.Y. — With tens of thousands of people pouring into the New York State Fair each day, state troopers say a simple step taken before families even walk through the gates can make a big difference if a child gets separated: filling out a lost kid tag.
Attendance for the first two days of the fair averaged close to 60,000 people, and the weekend weather was expected to bring even larger crowds. With that many people on the fairgrounds, it can take only a few seconds for a child to vanish from a parent’s sight.
The fair’s lost kid tag system is designed to help reunite families quickly. Parents can write their child’s information on a tag so a state trooper or fair employee can identify the child if they get separated.
Richard Muraski said he remembers the tags from when he was young. “Even as a kid coming here with my family, I just remember signing those tags,” Muraski said.
Some parents said they use the tags and also take other precautions before arriving at the fair. Deanne Neville said she prepares “just in case she wanders off just to be safe.”
State troopers are urging parents to write their child’s information down on a lost kid tag so troopers or fair employees can help identify them if they get separated. Troopers also said there is another simple step for families who skip the tag, though details were not provided.