Superintendent Roger Dearing welcomes Governor Charlie Crist to Manatee County.

(BRADENTON, FL - March 16, 2007) Florida Governor Charlie Crist rode on one of the nation's first plug-in hybrid electric school buses and helped kick off a new student safety campaign during a visit to the Manatee School District on Friday, March 16.

Governor Crist was joined on the bus ride by Superintendent Roger Dearing, Manatee County Sheriff Charlie Wells and 14-year old Clay Moore and his family.

Moore, an 8th grader at Manatee School for the Arts, a charter school in Palmetto, was the victim of a kidnapping on Feb. 23rd. Using his own ingenuity and a safety pin he had in his pocket, Moore freed himself and helped law enforcement officials capture his alleged abductor.

“Clay Moore is a hero,” Gov. Crist said, speaking at a special ceremony held at Virgil Mills Elementary in Palmetto. “I know from my time as Attorney General that these kinds of situations don't always turn out this well. It's such a special blessing to have this young man here. God watched out for him.”

With Moore by his side, Gov. Crist helped district officials unveil a new safety campaign known as "Safe to School: All eyes on Child Safety."

The Safe to School campaign is a grassroots effort to raise the consciousness of the community concerning the safety of students making their way to and from school. In addition to asking for the community's help in keeping a watchful eye on children, the campaign provides parents and students with practical safety tips to incorporate into their daily routines.

“We have more than 43,000 students who attend our schools and every school day approximately 17,000 students ride our buses and many others walk or ride their bikes,” Dearing said. “We're asking for the entire community's help in keeping an eye on these children so that we can be constantly vigilant when it comes to safeguarding our kids.”

Gov. Crist also commended the Manatee School District for being the first in the country to include plug-in hybrid electric school buses into its bus fleet.

“I'm so proud of Manatee County leading the way on introducing hybrid buses,” Gov. Crist said. “Florida is a beautiful state and we all have a duty to protect that beauty. This is an important and meaningful step in that direction.”

The Southeast Guitar Quartet and the Lee Magnet Middle School Advanced Jazz Band performed for the Governor and other guests during the ceremony at Mills and a Color Guard consisting of members from the JROTC program at Palmetto High presented the colors and led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Clay Moore helps Governor Charlie Crist introduce a new child safety campaign.