Promoting Bicyle
Helmets
Participating in the community
Early this year we were approached
by a volunteer with one of our neighborhood PTA groups about making
bicycle helmets available for children at their elementary school.
As would be expected with many volunteer group projects, they
were reacting to an incident that had happened on the north side
of our city and that had received much publicity.
An elementary
school student was riding his bicycle one day, and was hit by
a car. It appears that there is a degree of supposition in the
following, but the reports given indicate that the physicians
believe that it was not the car hitting the student that killed
him, but it was his head striking the pavement that caused the
internal injuries that were the cause of death.
There were a
couple of news stories about the incident. Particularly, there
was a very long and very touching story that told of how the various
classmates were handling the death, and the tremendous sadness
felt by the teacher. She was a young woman that had no children
of her own, but she made a point to "adopt" each child in her
class each year.
Here, on the far south side
of our city, Mary Jo Berras, a volunteer with Bay Vista school approached
us with a request. She and her husband, a local physician, were
asking what price could we make bicycle helmets available for. Their
PTA had decided that they had approximately $1,000. to spend as
they wanted to subsidize the cost of helmets to the students.
They
were thrilled to find that we found helmets from a manufacturer
available for $11, helmets which retail for as much as $35. The
PTA decided that they would ask each student to pay $7. per helmet
and they would cover the balance. The one condition that we gave
them, was that if their order was for less than 40 helmets, they
would incur the freight charges from the manufacturer.
Imagine
our surprise the next week as we drove by the school to see on
their street sign, "Order your helmets today. Only $7. Over
90 helmets sold. Thanks Skyway Hardware". The next week the number
changed to 150 helmets and when their drive ended, the number
was 300.
As we placed the order for the
helmets, we worked with the school for a bicycle rally on a Friday
that the elementary school kids had off from school.
The community
resource police officer, Dean Clark, arranged for the police department
to set up a road course in the parking lot. On the day of the rally,
the students would be put through the paces of testing their safety
skills and bicycling abilities. But of course, not until they
had picked up their helmet and had the helmet properly fitted. Of
course, the helmet did have a sticker on it, noting our store name,
address, and phone number. Our bicycle mechanic, Coach Mike Jacobs,
a local high school teacher, took off a day from work to be a part
of the program. With a form that he created, each bicycle was checked
for any mechanical problems, which were duly noted on the form which
was sent to the parents. The form detailed any needed service and
the price that would be charged when the bicycle was returned to
our store. If the repair was something that could be easily and
quickly done, Coach Mike did it on the spot at no charge. He also
brought along a case of front and rear reflectors for the bicycles
which he gave away at no charge.
This was a fun project in which
everyone came out ahead. As hoped, we did manage to get the store
mentioned in a newspaper article, and we did receive recognition
on the school sign and in their newsletter.
But, Mary Jo was soon
back with us. After the word spread, and because she approached
it as her special project, the program continued. We suggested that
there be an expansion to get the parents to order helmets also.
Surely, it is hard to explain to a child why them must wear the
helmet, but Mom or Dad doesn't need one.
Lad 'n Lass preschool,
Blessed Trinity's MOMS preschool, Childs Park Fundamental Elementary,
Bay Point Elementary, and Lakeview Fundamental Elementary, all wanted
to perform bicycle helmet programs. These schools did not underwrite
the cost of the helmets, but sold them to their students at our
$11 cost.
As the program grew, we went
back to the helmet manufacturer and pleaded for additional help.
We received a 3% discount which we have used to create a small fund
to purchase helmets for any students financially unable to purchase
their own helmets.
One of the more touching events
was a visit from Officer Dean Clark, who informed us that he had
been contacted by a representative of Shore Acres Elementary. This
is the school that lost the student that inspired this program.
They knew they were so far away from us, but would we at least tell
them the name of a contact person at the helmet manufacturer so
that they could attempt a helmet drive of their own. We immediately
invited them to hold their helmet drive which we would gladly support.
By the time the school year
was over, we had sold at our cost, 1,000 helmets. Of course, you
can see the many benefits that a store would receive from such a
program. Another came our way last week as a representative from
Shore Acres Elementary contacted us about participating in a county
wide program.
"Kool School" is a new program that is
being implemented for the current school year. It is a guideline
for a PTA and similar organizations of how they can help their
community, their students, and their families. One of the requirements
that a school must meet to be a "Kool School" is, that they must
create a program to make helmets available to at least the students
that ride their bicycles to school - and if the school is so inclined,
to make the helmets available to all the students.
This type
of event makes us a strong part of our community, and you distinguish
your store from the chain stores.
