Summertime has finally arrived, school is out and area children are busy playing and enjoying warm temperatures and sunny skies.

But coordinators with the national SAFE KIDS campaign want parents to be alert so that children's fun doesn't turn into summertime misery.

The Defeat the Heat campaign, a partnership with the SAFE KIDS campaign, is a public safety crusade aimed at protecting children from heat illness and dehydration.

The campaign will sponsor outreach events across the country in an effort to educate people about the dangers of excessive summer heat.

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