Bike/Walk Central Florida kicked off the new year with a bang. During the month of January, our outreach team participated in FIVE different community events—working to educate people about bicycle and pedestrian safety. Here’s a closer look:
Children’s Safety Village with Altamonte Springs Christian Academy on 1/10
BFF Roni presenting to students from Altamonte Springs Christian Academy at the Children’s Safety Village
Do you know your ABC’s? The kids from Altamonte Springs Christian Academy do! The “ABC Quick Check,” that is.
ABC Quick Check is a fun way to make sure your bike is in good, safe condition before hopping on and pedaling off.
“A is for air. B is for brakes. C is for cranks, chain, and cassette. Quick is for quick release on wheels. Check is for a test drive so everything works well.”
It sounds like something Dr. Seuss would write, but it helps children (and adults) prepare for a safe ride. And a safe ride is just what we want for each of the 400 kids and families we reached in January.
We kicked off the month (and the New Year) with a program at the Children’s Safety Village. We presented to students from Altamonte Springs Christian Academy: two eggs, two drops, and a lot of laughs. They learned not only the ABC’s but also the importance of wearing a helmet.
The first time an “egghead” is dropped, a box of padding like packing peanuts acts like the protective material in a bicycle helmet. The second time, there’s no protection—and it breaks, with the yolk and guts spilling out of the “head.” Don’t worry – the egg is in a plastic bag so we don’t make messes wherever we visit. The egg drop demonstration, while exciting, helps kids see first-hand why helmets are so important.
Blankner K-8 School Helmet Fittings and Health Fair on 1/13 & 1/14
BFFs participating in the Health Fair at Blankner K-8 School
Of course, a helmet works best when it fits properly. Members of our outreach team have special FDOT certifications in order to properly fit bike helmets. It’s important to get that fit just right, in order to protect the kids’ most valuable asset—their minds.
Blankner K-8 School hosted BWCF for two events over two days. On January 13, our team fit 36 free bike helmets for kids who got new bikes over the Christmas holiday, or just outgrew their old helmets. We also passed out activity books for the kids to complete that teach safety in a fun, play-filled way.
Then on January 14, we returned for Blankner’s 2nd Annual Health and Fitness Fair. We got to see our partners Jaime Fletcher from Orlando Health the Orlando Fire Department. Students could “spin to win” prizes from activity books and bookmarks to stickers and magnets. They loved showing off their knowledge of pedestrian and bicycle safety. We especially loved hearing that several families like to ride bikes to school together!
Access Charter School Health Fair on 1/23
Later in the month, on January 23, we visited Access Charter School on Colonial Drive. BFF Roni hosted a table at their 3rd Annual Health Fair. Access Charter students are middle and high school age students with special needs like autism or Down’s Syndrome. The kids had a great time learning about bicycle and pedestrian safety. Our table stayed busy throughout the event; we fit and gave away 16 helmets. Parents made a point of thanking the outreach team for working with their teens to make them feel more comfortable wearing a bike helmet.
We cannot wait to work with Access Charter School again in the future.
Our final outreach event in January was high-octane… literally. Click HERE to read more about the FORD Driving Skills for Life event.