On May 7, 2012, NY State Assemblyman Al Graf had his resolution to adopt Rose Brucia Stranger Safety Awareness Week in NY State adopted and signed by NY State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.  The resolution declares the third week in October each year as “Rose Brucia Stranger Safety Awareness Week”.  The purpose of this declaration is to provide elementary schools with the perfect setting to instruct the free stranger safety awareness program provided by The Rose Brucia Educational Foundation.

The Stranger Safety Awareness Program is a free educational curriculum designed to provide vital, proactive stranger safety awareness techniques to elementary-aged children.  The program includes single-concept video shorts in conjunction with suggested lesson plans, written by teachers, for teachers, to actively involve children in their own safety as it relates to strangers.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, each year, over 21,700 children are abducted by a stranger. Statistically speaking, that means that one child, per state, per day is taken.  The Rose Brucia Educational Foundation’s goal is to reduce this number!

“Rose Brucia Stranger Safety Awareness Week is the perfect way to open a discussion about stranger safety right before the biggest stranger safety awareness event of the year: Halloween”, says Matthew J. Barbis, Founder & Chairman of The Rose Brucia Educational Foundation. “Our goal is to provide the five days for which our five, age-appropriate lessons can be introduced in elementary schools across New York State. Please go to www.rosebrucia.org/downloads to download your copy of these lessons, free of charge”.

Here is a copy of the actual legislation as found on http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/api/1.0/html/bill/K1252-2011

K1252-2011:Memorializing Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim October 22-26, 2012, as Rose Brucia Stranger Safety Awareness Week in the State of New York

Sponsor: Graf / Multi-sponsor(s): Boyle, Ceretto, Crouch, Curran, Kolb, Losquadro, McDonough, Miller D, Miller M, Montesano, Murray, Ra, Raia, Smardz, Tenney
Law Section: Resolutions, Legislative

LEGISLATIVE   RESOLUTION  memorializing  Governor  Andrew  M.  Cuomo  to
 proclaim October 22-26, 2012, as Rose Brucia Stranger  Safety  Awareness
 Week in the State of New York
 WHEREAS, The State of New York takes great pride in recognizing official
 weeks  established  to  increase awareness of serious issues that affect
 the lives of all New Yorkers; and
 WHEREAS, It is the sense  of  this  Legislative  Body  to  memorialize
 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim October 22-26, 2012, as Rose Brucia
 Stranger  Safety Awareness Week in the State of New York; each year, the
 third week in October will be declared as Rose  Brucia  Stranger  Safety
 Awareness Week in New York State; and
 WHEREAS, The Rose Brucia Educational Foundation was founded by Matthew
 J.   Barbis when his 11 year-old cousin, Carlie Brucia, was abducted and
 murdered in Sarasota, Florida, in 2004; the Foundation was  named  after
 Rose Brucia, Matthew's grandmother; and
 WHEREAS,  The  mission of the Rose Brucia Educational Foundation is to
 reduce the number of  child  abductions  in  America  by  educating  and
 empowering  young minds with the knowledge necessary to avoid abduction;
 and
 WHEREAS, The Rose Brucia  Educational  Foundation  so  effectively  is
 carrying out its mission by spreading its vital message to all elementa
 ry school-aged children across the State of New York; and
 WHEREAS,  Utilizing  puppets  and  simple self-defense techniques, the
 Rose Brucia Educational Foundation provides elementary schools with  the
 Rose Brucia Stranger Safety Awareness Program at no charge; and
 WHEREAS,  Since  its inception, the Rose Brucia Stranger Safety Aware
 ness Program has been  welcomed  into  the  community  with  open  arms;
 Matthew Barbis's way of life was sadly changed by Carlie's tragedy which
 prompted  him to take serious action and help other children in America;
 and
 WHEREAS, Carlie Brucia's story was highly publicized and today  stands
 as  a call to action for families and individuals everywhere to stand up
 to child predators; and
 WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body that  when  founda
 tions  of  such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten
 tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all  the  citizens  of
 this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it
 RESOLVED,  That  this  Legislative  Body pause in its deliberations to
 memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim October 22-26, 2012, as
 Rose Brucia Stranger Safety Awareness Week in the State of New York; and
 be it further
 RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran
 smitted to Matthew J. Barbis, Founder, Rose Brucia  Educational  Founda
 tion.