Burlington, NJ - Burlington Coat Factory is among 14 individuals and organizations to receive the Governor's Representative award for their efforts to improve safety on New Jersey's highways. At the 3rd Annual Traffic Safety Summit & Governor's Representative Awards Luncheon, recently held in Edison, NJ, Burlington Coat Factory Vice President of Baby Depot Operations Dave Cestaro, was on-hand to accept a safety achievement award on behalf of the company.

In New Jersey, the Governor has designated the Governor's Highway Safety Representative to oversee the federally-funded highway safety program. The Governor's Representative Award was established in 2003 to recognize those that work to promote safe travel along New Jersey's highways.

Burlington Coat Factory and their in-store baby product division, Baby Depot, sponsor on - site safety programs throughout the country which are always free to the public. Project Checkpoint™ events provide certified safety seat experts to inspect motor vehicles for proper installation and operation of child restraints. According to a survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 81 percent of child safety seats are improperly installed, increasing a child's risk of serious injury.

"As one of the leading baby product retailers in the country, child safety has always been at the forefront of our business. Beyond making the highest quality baby gear available to consumers, giving consumers the knowledge and the confidence to know how to use that equipment safely is a top priority for us," notes Dave Cestaro.

'We are especially committed to reducing child traffic safety injuries through our checkpoint program. With a few moments of guidance from certified inspectors, parents can learn how to operate child seats safely which will make all the difference in the event of an accident."

Project Checkpoint events often include fingerprinting and other child safety services, as well as entertainment for children like costume characters and balloons. They are designed to be fun, but most importantly, informative. Since the program's inception in 2003, Baby Depot at Burlington Coat Factory has hosted approximately 300 events. In 2006, Cestaro and Burlington Coat Factory hope to host an impressive 150 events.

Burlington Coat Factory is a national retailer offering clothing, footwear, and accessories for the entire family, a specialty baby product department, Baby Depot, and Luxury Linens, a home décor department. The company and its subsidiaries own and operate more than 360 stores, nationwide. Burlington Coat Factory, founded and incorporated in 1972, has been publicly traded since 1983, and is presently traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "BCF." Burlington Coat Factory can be found online at www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com.