Each year one in three people in the U.S. visit an emergency room - 40 percent as a result of injury related accidents and a third under the age of 21.

Highline Medical Center in Burien, which serves nearly 50,000 ER patients annually and is opening a new and expanded state-of-the-art ER in April, wants to change those statistics for its community. It has joined with Highline Public Schools to launch Kidz Tipz for Safety, an innovative program to engage children in childhood safety.

Elementary school students in the Highline School District have been invited to design their own safety billboard featuring an up-to- eight-word safety tip, with three winning entries to be featured on billboards in the surrounding community. Finalists' artwork will be also featured at the Grand Opening Celebration of Highline Medical Center's new Emergency Room on April 10. And every child who enters will be eligible to win a party at Family Fun Center in Tukwila.

A panel of representatives from Highline Medical Center and the community will review the entries and select 20 finalists from which final winners will be chosen. Finalists will have their artwork on display at the opening of the new ER from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 10.

The deadline for entries is Friday, March 19, and more information and contest rules are available by emailing commrelations@highlinemedical.org.