Law Firm Kicks Off Foundation To Promote Child Safety

   KINGSTON, Pa. (Nov. 16, 2005) − The law firm of Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn on Tuesday officially kicked off HKQ Kids – the Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn Fund for Children’s Advocacy. The mission of the organization, which was established through a $200,000 donation from the firm, will be to promote a safer future for children in Northeastern Pennsylvania through public awareness and advocacy programs.
   “It has been a longtime dream of this firm to honor the memories of the many wonderful children and families we have represented by establishing a foundation to promote child safety,” said Attorney Joseph Quinn, the firm’s Senior Litigation Partner. “It is our fervent hope that the work of HKQ Kids will be a force for positive change in our community and help prevent the kinds of horrible tragedies we have witnessed as lawyers who represent injured people.”
   HKQ Kids was established through a $200,000 donation of “seed money” from the firm’s fee in a recent medical malpractice case. The case involved 4-year-old Torajee Bobbett, who died in 2001 due to negligent care at Mercy Hospital in Wilkes-Barre. The Luzerne Foundation, a local charitable foundation, will provide financial oversight for HKQ Kids.


Attorney Joe Quinn, left, presents a check for $200,000 to Charles Barber, Executive Director of the Luzerne Foundation, during a news conference Nov. 15, 2005, to kick off HKQ Kids.
   “The Bobbett case was the touchstone for establishing HKQ Kids, but the reality is we have represented many other families whose children have died or suffered severe injuries as a result of totally preventable hazards,” said Quinn. “Contrary to what others might think, I wish I had never seen any of those cases come through my door.”

   Charles Barber, Executive Director of the Luzerne Foundation, thanked Quinn and the lawyers at HKQ for their generosity and caring in establishing HKQ Kids.
   “This kind of effort fits perfectly into the mission of the Luzerne Foundation,” said Barber. “We want to administer funds and programs that have a positive impact on people’s lives in our community.”
Quinn said HKQ Kids is going to be much more than simply a philanthropic organization. The foundation’s mission is to:

  • Create a safer future for children in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

  • Promote public awareness of issues affecting the safety of children in Northeastern Pennsylvania through regular communications with the public and news media.

  • Organize, coordinate and sponsor regular proactive programs to educate parents, children and the general public about child safety hazards.

  • Work with and provide financial support to other individuals, organizations and programs that promote child safety in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

  • Work cooperatively with the news media to promote child safety in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

   As a first project, Quinn said, HKQ Kids will be partnering with the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (USPIRG) to promote its annual report, “Trouble in Toyland,” which details potential hazards posed by specific toys on the shelves for the upcoming holiday shopping season. 
   He said HKQ Kids will be sponsoring a news conference Wednesday, Nov. 23, at 1:30 p.m. – prior to the Black Friday kickoff of the holiday shopping season – at the firm’s Kingston office with Beth McConnell, State Director of PennPIRG, the Pennsylvania chapter of USPIRG headquartered in Philadelphia. Ms. McConnell will discuss the findings of the group’s annual report on toy safety and demonstrate how specific toys can harm children. She will also be available throughout the day for media interviews and demonstrations.
   HKQ Kids hopes to facilitate wide dissemination of the USPIRG report in Northeastern Pennsylvania through media exposure, working with schools and community organizations, the Internet and by mail. Anyone who wants a copy of the report will be able to call the firm’s toll-free number. The foundation’s web site, www.hkqkids.org, is under construction.
   In the spring, Quinn said, HKQ Kids will be hiring an expert on playground safety to prepare a “report card” on the safety of public playgrounds in Luzerne County. In addition, throughout the year, HKQ Kids will work to inform the public and media regularly about product recalls and other hazards that could pose dangers to children in our community.
   “We are asking the media to partner with us to make this endeavor a success,” said Quinn. “We will provide the information, expertise and resources, but we sincerely hope the media will help us get it into the hands of the people who can make a difference in the lives of our children.”

Contact: Sue Greenfield, Business Manager, (570) 287-3000

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HKQ KIDS - Keeping Our Kids Safe