Spooner Health Donates Bike Helmets to Youth Bike Program
As part of its commitment to trauma prevention and community safety, Spooner Health recently donated 26 bike helmets to Spooner Middle School’s bike program that has been developed under the leadership of Physical Education Teacher, Ryan McKinney.
“When our team learned that the school could use additional helmets for its bike program, we jumped at the opportunity to help equip students with properly fitted protective gear,” shared Michelle Martin, Public Relations Director for Spooner Health. “Keeping our community safe is a top priority for us, and this partnership is another great opportunity for us to prevent serious injuries before they happen. We are proud to support a program that encourages healthy activity while emphasizing safety.”
The helmets were purchased through a program that allows nonprofit organizations to purchase helmets in bulk and provide community members with appropriately fitted protective equipment. The program focuses on reducing injuries by increasing access to helmets and educating individuals on the proper fit and use of bicycle helmets.
“Receiving these helmets from Spooner Health was so appreciated,” said Ryan. “We get a lot of students of different sizes on bikes, and these helmets of all sizes have ensured that all students will have a safe helmet that fits them properly.”
The bike program at Spooner Middle School has grown to a multifaceted approach. All students in physical education go through a biking unit. In addition, the school offers a morning ride group, an afterschool bike club, and a NICA mountain bike racing team. Through biking, the school has seen a lot of great impacts on students including overcoming fears and failures, discovering a new lifelong wellness activity they share with their family, and students joining a team for the first time and finding belonging.
“It was exciting for me to present these helmets to the bike program,” said April Busch, Director of Emergency Services at Spooner Health. “Preventing head injuries is important work. We never want to see a child in the emergency room because of a preventable injury, and we hope these helmets help protect the students in our community while they enjoy the benefits of cycling.”