Boston Law Firm of Breakstone, White & Gluck Helping Massachusetts Safe Routes to School Protect Children from Head Injuries This Summer

Breakstone, White & Gluck is proud to support Massachusetts Safe Routes to School each year. For the fourth year, Breakstone, White & Gluck donated 400 bicycle helmets from our Project KidSafe campaign and Massachusetts Safe Routes to School distributed the helmets to children who needed one and participated in their bicycle safety training. This is our largest donation each year and one we are proud to make. From Boston to Western Massachusetts, Massachusetts Safe Routes teaches elementary and middle school students skills to walk and bike to school safely. The bicycle safety training focuses on the fundamentals of traffic laws, the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet and for many, how to balance on their first ride. The program is also well known for its bike rodeos, a fun way for students to practice their new-found skills.

Massachusetts Safe Routes offers programming in over 800 schools in 200+ communities in Massachusetts. The staff tells us our Project KidSafe helmets went to children at these events:

Holyoke Roll n’ Stroll

Newburyport Bike Rode

Lawrence SALSA, Ciclovia

Longmeadow Bike Rodeo

Northeastern University Police Bike Rodeo-Boston

Stoughton Bike Rodeo

BCYF Mattahunt-Super Teens-Boston

Lawrence Learns Block Party

Pittsfield’s Mayor’s Fitness Challenge Kickoff

Springfield Complete Streets Celebration

Milford Fun and Fuel Summer Meals Program

National Night Out-North Adams

Longmeadow’s Bike Rodeo

Groveland’s Bike Rodeo

Kids riding bikes wearing Project KidSafe bike helmets in Lawrence, Massachusetts

Young cyclists at the Lawrence Ciclovia (August 2018). Massachusetts Safe Routes to School distributed free bicycle helmets from Breakstone, White & Gluck’s Project KidSafe campaign to prevent head injuries. Courtesy Photo: Massachusetts Safe Routes to School Facebook page.

Man fitting Project KidSafe bicycle helmet for young girl in Lawrence, Massachusetts

Lawrence Ciclovia (August 2018). Massachusetts Safe Routes to School distributed free bicycle helmets from Breakstone, White & Gluck’s Project KidSafe campaign to prevent head injuries. Courtesy Photo: Massachusetts Safe Routes to School Facebook page.

Cyclists wearing bicycle helmets and walking bikes in Boston, Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Safe Routes to School distributed free bicycle helmets from Breakstone, White & Gluck’s Project KidSafe campaign at Boston Center for Youth & Families Mattahunt Super Teens. Courtesy Photo: Massachusetts Safe Routes to School Facebook page.

In addition to donating bicycle helmets, Breakstone, White & Gluck was pleased to participate in a few Safe Routes events in 2018. First, Attorney Marc L. Breakstone spoke to students at Peirce Elementary School in Arlington about the importance of wearing bicycle helmets, then helped hand the helmets out. Meanwhile, Attorney David W. White attended the annual Safe Routes to School Awards at the Massachusetts State House. The event recognizes students, schools and teachers who are going above and beyond in the work of protecting children on bikes and when walking to school.

Launched in 2000, Massachusetts Safe Routes to School was one of two pilot programs launched in the U.S. The goal was to help children learn the skills they needed to walk and bike to school safely. Today, the program is a federally-funded initiative managed by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and has grown by leaps and bounds to meet the needs of communities and schools which want to keep kids safe.

We are very proud of our partnership with Massachusetts Safe Routes because the programming is effective and provides encouragement to schools and communities. Children remember what they learn and remember it for years to come. As they move through the curriculum, students get valuable practice time at community bike rodeos (which, in our experience, are a lot of fun).  Whether it’s walking or biking, the program works best when children, teachers and communities are all involved in the safety lessons. One of the first lessons is that walking and biking safely are lifelong skills.

About Breakstone, White & Gluck and Our Project KidSafe Campaign

Project KidSafe - Breakstone, White & Gluck's Project KidSafe campaign

The Project KidSafe campaign was founded by the Boston personal injury law firm of Breakstone, White & Gluck. Through our Project KidSafe campaign, our attorneys have donated over 20,000 bicycle helmets to children across Massachusetts. Most of the donations are in the Boston area and eastern Massachusetts. All our donations are made through programs, such as Massachusetts Safe Routes, and community partners which distribute the helmets to children one at a time, as part of educational programming or at community events.

How did we get started? In 2013, the firm’s partners – Marc L. Breakstone, David W. White and Ronald E. Gluck – set out to protect children and families on bikes from head injuries. The attorneys have long represented those who have been injured by head injuries on bikes and in car accidents, as a result of someone else’s negligence. These are devastating injuries which can change lives.  Responsibility falls with drivers not to speed or operate recklessly, but cyclists must also obey traffic laws and we urge riders of all ages to wear helmets. This is an key step to protect yourself and limit the risk of head injuries should you ever fall on your bike or be injured in a bicycle crash. Please wear your helmet every time you ride, no matter how short the trip.

Breakstone, White & Gluck and Cambridge Police Team Up for Children’s Bike Helmet Giveaway During National Bike Safety Month

Attorney Ronald Gluck and Attorney David White of Breakstone, White & Gluck with Cambridge police officers and children who received bicycle helmets donated by the Boston personal injury law firm.

With a donation from Breakstone, White & Gluck, the Cambridge Police Department will distribute bicycle helmets to children who need one during National Bike Safety Month.

IMG_20160501_185016-960.jpg

Photo: Attorney Ronald Gluck and David White of Breakstone, White & Gluck gather with children at the Cambridgeport School, Assistant Principal Audrey M. Sturgis and Cambridge police officers Che Santos and Anthony Santiago. Breakstone, White & Gluck was pleased to donate children’s bicycle helmets to the Cambridge Police Department for National Bike Safety Month in May 2016. 

Cambridge Police has announced its first “helmet voucher” program as part of its National Bike Safety Month initiatives in May. Police officers will specifically be looking for children who are riding bicycles without a helmet throughout May and hand them a “helmet voucher,” which can be redeemed for a free bicycle helmet at the Cambridge Police Department.

Breakstone, White & Gluck donated 140 bicycle helmets to the Cambridge Police in hopes of keeping children safe and preventing traumatic brain injuries from bicycle accidents. The donation was part of our Project KidSafe campaign, which has donated more than 10,000 bicycle helmets to children since 2013.

Massachusetts law requires any person 16 years old or younger riding a bicycle to wear a helmet. By wearing a helmet, cyclists can reduce their chance for head injury by 50 percent, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

This is a special donation and Attorney Ron Gluck and Attorney David White joined Cambridge Police at the Cambridgeport School for an unofficial kick off last week. Here are some photos:

Attorney Ron Gluck and Attorney David White join children at the Cambridgeport School along with Audrey M. Sturgis, assistant principal, and Cambridge police officers Che Santos and Anthony Santiago, to kick off the bike helmet giveaway during National Bike Safety Month.

20160428-_MG_8382-Edit-2.jpg
Attorney David White helps a child fit a bicycle helmet.

_MG_8387.jpgAttorney Ron Gluck finishes fitting a helmet.

cambridge-police-480.jpgCambridge police officers will distribute the bicycle helmets – and also show children how to properly fit them.

helmet-voucher-480.jpgCambridge Police will distribute these vouchers to children who are not wearing bicycle helmets during May.

For more information on how to properly fit a bicycle helmet, visit our Project KidSafe webpage.

About Breakstone, White & Gluck
Breakstone, White & Gluck is a Boston personal injury law firm which is committed to the safety of all bicyclists in Massachusetts. We have over 100 years combined experience representing bicyclists injured by the negligence of others. If you, or a member of your family, has been injured in a bicycle incident, please feel free to contact us for a free legal consultation at 800-379-1244 or 617-723-7676 or use our contact form. Thank you and RIDE SAFE!

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.

david-westwoodday2015.jpg

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.

A Day of Donating Bicycle Helmets in Westborough

We had a great day in Westborough last weekend: Two fun community events, great weather and we handed out 160 free bicycle helmets to children. For this, we partnered up with the Westborough Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee and the Boroughs Family Branch of the YMCA of Central Massachusetts.

Breakstone, White & Gluck donated the bicycle helmets as part of our Project KidSafe outreach. Attorney David W. White helped distribute the free helmets at Westborough’s Spring Festival, an event featuring just about everything which is hosted by the Rotary Club of Westborough. In addition to bicycle helmets, there was an amateur dog show, children’s carnival, road race, food vendors and the list goes on.

Attorney White and Bruce Tretter, chairman of the Westborough Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, then went to hand out helmets at the Boroughs Family Branch of the YMCA of Central, which is nearby in Westborough.

“We had a lot of fun, though at times it was a little hectic because so many people were anxious to get helmets for their kids,” attorney David White said. He added, “Wearing a bicycle helmet is the most important step you can take to protect yourself as a cyclist and I hope the children and families left with new helmets and a new commitment to wear them every time they ride.”

Breakstone, White & Gluck donated these bike helmets through our Project KidSafe initiative. We have donated over 3,500 helmets to children in Massachusetts since 2013. By year’s end, we expect to have donated 6,000 helmets. Read more about our Project KidSafe outreach or our bicycle safety tips.

20150502-IMG_1746-2.jpg
Photo: Attorney David W. White of Breakstone, White & Gluck helping a child at the Boroughs Family Branch of the YMCA of Central Massachusetts in Westborough.

20150502-IMG_1751[1]-Edit.jpgPhoto: From left in back: Bruce Tretter, Chairman of the Westborough Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee; Betsy Moquin, Director of Marketing & Advancement of the Boroughs Family Branch of the YMCA of Central Massachusetts; and Attorney David W. White of Breakstone, White & Gluck.

20150502-IMG_1747[1].jpgPhoto: Bruce Tretter, Chairman of the Westborough Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, helps a child find a helmet.

Read More