Posts Tagged ‘Project KidSafe 2015’
Breakstone, White & Gluck Donates Bicycle Helmets to Tierney Learning Center in South Boston
Breakstone, White & Gluck recently donated bicycle helmets to the kids in the afterschool programs at the Tierney Learning Center in South Boston. The learning center and the Boston Bikes’ Roll It Forward program invited us to spend Friday afternoon at the center. Attorney David W. White fit the children for helmets while Boston Bikes’ Roll It Forward staff checked bikes and shared information about bike repairs.
Breakstone, White & Gluck donated the bicycle helmets as part of our Project KidSafe campaign, which we began in 2013. Our goal is to provide children who need one with a safe bicycle helmet. This year, we have donated 3,500 helmets to children in Watertown, Somerville, Dedham, Worcester and other communities.
The Tierney Learning Center is a hub in the South Boston community, providing early childhood programming, year-round youth programs, adult education and a technology center.
Programs include ABCD Head Start, an afterschool program with the Boys and Girls Club, language support classes, adult computer workshops with one-on-one assistance, counseling and career training programs. It also hosts holiday parties, community gatherings and job fairs. The center serves 150 children and families per day. Nearly 60 percent of these households are non-native English speakers while 90 percent are single-parent households.
Boston Bikes is operated by the City of Boston. Boston Bikes’ Roll It Forward collects, repairs and distributes bikes to low-income Boston residents who might not otherwise have access to a bike. The program also provides bike safety education with a goal of promoting a healthier lifestyle of increased physical activity and fewer trips by car. The program plans to donate 1,000 bicycles this year, on top of the 3,800 helmets donated in past years.
Breakstone, White & Gluck is proud to have supported the program since 2013, by donating bicycle helmets for children who receive a refurbished bike.
Learn more about the Tierney Learning Center and Boston Bikes’ Roll It Forward.
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Breakstone, White & Gluck Donates Bicycle Helmets in Watertown
Breakstone, White & Gluck and the Watertown Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee recently partnered up and gave 120 bicycle helmet to children. Breakstone, White & Gluck donated the helmets through our Project KidSafe campaign. Committee members then gave of their time and distributed helmets to children at the Watertown Faire on the Square on Sept. 26th. All 120 helmets were given away in one day!
Our thanks to the Watertown Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee, which sent along a few photos:
Breakstone, White & Gluck Donates 125 Bicycle Helmets to Children at Westwood Day
The Westwood Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety Committee distributed 125 bicycle helmets to children at Westwood Day over the weekend. Despite the cold and rainy day, families turned out and the committee distributed the helmets in a little more than two hours.
Breakstone, White & Gluck donated the bicycle helmets as part of our Project KidSafe campaign.
Attorney David W. White is a Westwood resident and participated as a member of the Westwood Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety Committee.
Through our Project KidSafe campaign, Breakstone, White & Gluck has donated 3,500 helmets this year and over 8,000 helmets since our first donation in 2013. Our goal is to encourage children and families to wear bicycle helmets and reduce the risk of serious head injury should they fall or be injured in a bicycle accident.
Other events:
Watertown Faire on the Square: On Sept. 26th, the Watertown Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee distributed 120 Project KidSafe bicycle helmets to children in the community at the 16th annual Watertown Faire on the Square.
Boston Bikes’ Roll It Forward: Attorney David W. White will join Boston Bikes at the Old Colony public housing development in South Boston on Friday, Oct. 9th. Boston Bikes’ Roll It Forward program provides refurbished bikes to city residents each year and returns for bike repair events. Breakstone, White & Gluck is donating 100 helmets and Attorney White will fit children who need one for the new helmets.
Breakstone, White & Gluck Donates Bicycle Helmets to Waltham Police
Attorney David White delivered bicycle helmets to the Waltham Police Department this morning. Breakstone, White & Gluck donated the helmets for police to give to children who need one in the community. We are very excited about this partnership because Waltham Police are actively working on bicycle safety in many ways.
Many thanks to @bwglawboston for the gracious donation of nearly 100 helmets for children of Waltham. pic.twitter.com/LDuztOgoDL
— Waltham MA Police (@WalthamMAPolice) September 18, 2015
Related:
The Waltham Patch wrote about our bicycle helmet donations in Waltham and other communities. Please check out the article: http://tinyurl.com/oozwpa4.
Breakstone, White & Gluck Answers Safety Questions about Bicycle Helmets
Breakstone, White & Gluck is pleased to be donating children’s bicycle helmets again this year through our Project KidSafe campaign. As part of this work, we get to go out and meet children and families at community events. Over the years, we have been asked some great questions about bicycle helmet use. Here are some of our answers:
Do I Have to Wear a Bicycle Helmet?
Yes! Massachusetts law requires cyclists 16 years old and younger to wear bicycle helmets when they ride. If you want to learn more, the statute is M.G.L. c. 85 § 11B.
While the law does not require parents to wear helmets, we encourage you to do so. If you wear one, your children will follow your lead and take the message to heart. Wearing a bicycle helmet is the most effective step you can take to prevent a serious head injury if you are involved in a bicycle accident. This is a good lesson for your children to learn early on.
What Else Should I Know About the Law on Bicycle Helmets?
M.G.L. c. 85 § 11B states helmets must be secured to a person’s head by straps and meet the safety standards set by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
When Should I Replace a Helmet?
Always replace helmets after a fall or bicycle accident, even if it does not appear damaged. Also replace the helmet if it no longer fits or the straps have worn. If the helmet is over three years old, it should be replaced.
Can Helmets be Handed Down from Child to Child?
Unlike bicycles, it is probably a better practice to not pass helmets down to younger siblings, unless they are still in excellent condition. If you are still considering re-using a helmet, think about how long the first child wore it and if they had any cycling accidents or falls. It is hard to know how many times a child has fallen, so the safe bet is to get a new helmet.
About Breakstone, White & Gluck and Project KidSafe
Breakstone, White & Gluck, a Boston personal injury law firm, launched our Project KidSafe campaign in 2013, with a goal of encourage safe bicycling. We have donated over 7,000 bicycle helmets to children throughout eastern Massachusetts and have worked with organizations such as Boston Bikes’ Roll It Forward, Massachusetts Safe Routes to Schools, Bikes Not Bombs and local bicycle committees and police departments.
Our attorneys have published safety and other informational materials for cyclists on our website:
What Every Massachusetts Cyclist Should Know About Car Insurance
Many cyclists are unaware they can purchase coverage for bicycle accidents through their car insurance policies. This is important because many drivers are underinsured or uninsured and many injured cyclists have to recover medical costs and other damages through their own car insurance policies. Read more.Massachusetts Bicyclists’ Rights and Responsibilities
Read a summary of the responsibilities of cyclists and motorists in Massachusetts.
Breakstone, White & Gluck Donates Bicycle Helmets at Dedham Bike Rodeo For Third Year
Breakstone, White & Gluck returned to the Dedham Bike Rodeo yesterday for the third year in a row. We were happy to donate 120 new bicycle helmets to the kids at the rodeo.
Photo: Attorneys Ronald E. Gluck and David W. White of Breakstone, White & Gluck with Dedham police officers, including Neil Cronin and Bob Nedder.
Photo: Attorney David W. White with 4-year-olds from the Courtyard Learning Center in Dedham.
The Dedham Bike Rodeo was one of the first events we participated in after starting our Project KidSafe campaign in 2013 and we always look forward to it. It is an annual event organized by the Dedham Police Department and Dedham Parks & Recreation Department. Local children are invited to ride around at the Endicott Estate, then offered a free lunch. The Dedham Police Department raffles off free bicycles to a few lucky children. For the finale, the Dedham Fire Department brings in the hose truck and lets the kids run under the water to cool down. That was much needed yesterday, with the temperature over 90 degrees!
Attorney David W. White fitted the children for new bicycle helmets and talked to them about the importance of always wearing one. A child who wears a helmet significantly reduces their chance of suffering a traumatic brain injury in a bicycle accident. In Massachusetts, wearing a bicycle helmet is also the law for children and teenagers 16 years old or younger.
David has fitted some of the Dedham kids two or three times now over the years and it was nice to see them back, willing to wait in line on such a hot day. A lot of helmets from years past were still being worn by other kids.
Breakstone, White & Gluck donated the helmets as part of our Project KidSafe campaign, which we launched in 2013. To date, we have donated over 5,000 helmets and expect to reach 8,000 by year’s end.
Our goal is to encourage children to wear bicycle helmets and ride their bikes safely. Even though it is widely known that bicycle helmets can protect cyclists, many children still do not wear them or use ones which do not fit properly or are in poor condition.
It is important for children to wear helmets which fit properly and meet safety standards. Children are especially vulnerable to bicycle-related injuries and deaths, accounting for half of all cyclists who are treated in emergency rooms each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some 26,000 children are treated for traumatic brain injuries related to bicycling accidents.
We also encourage parents to always wear their helmets too. When children see their parents consistently wearing helmets, the use of helmets by children increases dramatically.
Our Project KidSafe Campaign Continues in Arlington, Cambridge and Ashland
Breakstone, White & Gluck’s Project KidSafe campaign recently donated bicycle helmets in Arlington, Cambridge and Ashland. This has been our busiest year yet and we have been enjoying working with our friends, old and new.
Windsor Street Health Center in Cambridge. We recently gained a new partner, the medical students at the Windsor Street Health Center in Cambridge. The helmets will be donated to children who visit the center and need one. Many families served by the health center will not or cannot purchase bicycle helmets on their own, even after doctors explain the risk of a head injury, said Jonathan Blake Watson, a fourth-year Harvard Medical student who works at the clinic.
“It is a wonderful feeling knowing that we will be able to send our young patients home with something that will keep them safe,” Watson said.
Pierce School in Arlington. The elementary school’s students were focused on being active this year, with monthly “Walk to School Days.” Many students participated. When the school set up a bicycle rack, many also started biking. For National Bike Month, the students received a bike safety lesson and guidelines for following the rules of the road. Project KidSafe helmets were distributed to children who needed one and participated in a raffle.
Ashland Farmers Market. We returned to the Ashland Farmers Market for a second year and fitted bicycle helmets for 60 young children. We attended on Sustainability Day and were joined local farmers and other vendors, such as the Massachusetts Sierra Club and community members updating the public on the Upper Charles Rail Trail, a bike path which will pass through Ashland when complete.
About Breakstone, White & Gluck and Project KidSafe
Breakstone, White & Gluck launched Project KidSafe in 2013, with a goal of providing bicycle helmets to children who need one. Since then, we have donated more than 5,000 bicycle helmets and worked with organizations such as Boston Bikes’ Roll It Forward, CYCLE Kids, Bikes Not Bombs and Massachusetts Safe Routes to Schools.
Wearing a bicycle helmet is the most effective way for cyclists to prevent head injuries and young children are the most vulnerable. Visit our Bike Safety page and watch the video on how to properly fit a bicycle helmet.
Breakstone, White & Gluck Participates in Bike Friday
Today was Bike Friday, sponsored by Boston Bikes, the city office which promotes safe cycling. Bike Friday is one of the last events of Bay State Bike Week. It included a number of organized rides and a gathering at Boston City Hall. Breakstone, White & Gluck was there to share information about our Project KidSafe campaign.
Attorney David W. White and Attorney Marc L. Breakstone of Breakstone, White & Gluck participated in Bike Friday at Boston City Hall Plaza. The two attorneys were there to support the cyclists as they rode in and to share information about the firm’s Project KidSafe campaign.
Boston Bikes organizes Bike Fridays to celebrate those who ride their bikes to work and to encourage others. More than two dozen organizations and vendors signed up for today’s event. While 200 cyclists registered for the event, organizers estimated up to 350 cyclists actually pedaled in and enjoyed a free breakfast, courtesy of Boloco.
Breakstone, White & Gluck participated for the first time and set up our Project KidSafe tent to show support for the cyclists. Attorneys David W. White and Marc L. Breakstone were among the crowd waiting for the cyclist convoys, which came in from Lexington, Newton, Somerville and many other communities.
Other organizations which participated included MassBike, Boston Cyclists Union, Livable Streets Alliance, Hubway and Landry’s Bicycles.
Marc and David spoke to a number of cyclists about our Project KidSafe initiative, through which we donate bicycle helmets to children who need one in the Boston and Worcester areas. We have donated more than 4,000 bicycle helmets since 2013, through partner organizations such as CYCLE Kids of Cambridge, Somerville and Cambridge public schools, Bikes Not Bombs, Massachusetts Safe Routes to Schools, the Westborough Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. We have also worked with Boston Bikes’ Roll It Forward program, which refurbishes used bicycles and donates them to city residents who may not otherwise have access to a bicycle.
After the event, Marc said, “It is rewarding for us to be able to give back to the community in a way that promotes safety for children. We look forward to continuing our Project KidSafe program, and to expanding it in the years to come.”
The next Bike Friday events are scheduled for June 26th, July 24th and August 28th. Read more about the event.
The cyclists came in in convoys this morning, traveling in from Lexington, Arlington and other communities. While 200 cyclists registered in advance, organizers estimate 350 actually rolled in.
Free Bike Helmets for the Children at Framingham Earth Day Festival Last Weekend
Photo left to right: Bill Hanson, chair of the Framingham Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, volunteer Maura Kelly, Framingham police officers and Attorney David W. White of Breakstone, White & Gluck.
Breakstone, White & Gluck, the Framingham Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, and the Framingham Police Department teamed up and gave away 120 bicycle helmets to children last weekend at the 5th Annual Framingham Earth Day Festival.
Breakstone, White & Gluck donated the helmets through our Project KidSafe initiative and attorney David W. White participated in the event, along with advisory committee members, including Bill Hanson, chair of the advisory committee, member Joseph Repoli, volunteer Maura Kelly and Framingham police officers.
Framingham Earth Day is held on the Framingham Centre Common and each year the event grows. It began in 2011 with 55 vendors encouraging residents to make eco-friendly choices. This year, nearly 100 vendors turned out. Breakstone, White & Gluck first participated in the festival last year.
Through our Project KidSafe initiative, Breakstone, White & Gluck has donated over 3,500 bicycle helmets to children in the Boston and Worcester areas. We expect to have donated more than 6,000 bicycle helmets by year’s end. Our goal is to encourage children to wear a bicycle helmet every time they ride.
Cyclists of all ages should wear bicycle helmets to protect themselves from a serious head injury. But bicycle helmets are especially important for children, and they are required to wear them by law in Massachusetts.
Children suffer more than half of all bicycle-related injuries and deaths which require emergency department care each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Some 26,000 of these bicycle-related injuries to children and teenagers are traumatic brain injuries treated in emergency rooms.
Watch this video on how to properly fit a bicycle helmet or visit our bike safety web page.
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iCan Shine Bike Camp Teaches Bicycle Safety to Children and Teenagers with Disabilities
The iCan Shine bike camp is back in Arlington this week, teaching local children and teenagers with disabilities how to ride bicycles. iCan Shine is a national charitable nonprofit which provides cycling training for children and teenagers with autism, Down Syndrome and other disabilities. Breakstone, White & Gluck donated bicycle helmets to the camp for the second year and attorney Ronald Gluck visited with them this week.
Photo: Attorney Ronald Gluck with the volunteers at the iCan Shine bike camp in Arlington, where Breakstone, White & Gluck donated bicycle helmets to the children and teenagers with disabilities who are learning to ride a bicycle this week. A few staffers from the national iCan Shine organization travel in to teach while local volunteers organize and fund-raise for the camp. Many volunteers also attend, giving their time to guide, steer and support the riders through each lesson.
Local communities throughout the U.S. coordinate these one-week camps and the national organization sends instructors with specialized training. The Pennsylvania organization, which was founded in 2007, serves nearly 3,000 people with disabilities each year. By the end of each five-day program, 80 percent of the bicyclists who attend an iCan Shine bike program are able to ride a two-wheel bicycle independently.
Arlington resident Nina Fischer brought the iCan Shine camp to Massachusetts in 2013, so her own daughter could learn how to ride a bicycle. She continues organizing and fund-raising for it each year. Other Massachusetts camps are now offered in Scituate, Groton and Upton. The Arlington camp was held this week at Ottoson Middle School on Acton Street, with help from volunteers. Each rider requires several volunteers to help steer, guide and direct. Volunteers included students who were on school vacation, longtime cyclists who wanted to help and town board members.
Attorney Ronald Gluck visited on “Tandem Tuesday,” when the students learn to ride on a tandem bicycle, with a trained instructor guiding them on back. This allows them to build strength and become more comfortable with riding.
“Seeing the smiling faces of these new bike riders as they rode around the gym was something to behold,” Attorney Gluck said. “It was a pleasure to visit.”
Breakstone, White & Gluck will donate more than 2,500 bicycle helmets to youth in Massachusetts this year through its Project KidSafe initiative. Our goal is to help educate children and families on the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet and how to properly wear one. This is the third year of our program and by year’s end, we will have donated more than 5,000 helmets to children to help them ride safely. To learn more, visit our Project KidSafe page or our bike safety page.
Instructor from the national iCan Shine organization riding on a tandem bicycle with a student at the Arlington iCan Shine bike camp.
