Posts Tagged ‘Massachusetts Safe Routes to School’
Breakstone, White & Gluck Donates 100 Bicycle Helmets to Framingham Students Who Received New Bikes
Breakstone, White & Gluck recently had the opportunity to contribute to a very worthwhile bike safety donation with the Framingham Public Schools. With COVID-19 driving a space shortage on school buses, the school system decided to buy 100 bicycles to help middle school students who needed the most help getting to school.
If you ride a bike, you know you must wear a helmet to protect yourself against head injuries. Well, Breakstone, White & Gluck had helmets and we were pleased to donate 100 bicycle helmets to students as part of our Project KidSafe campaign.
This donation began with a school counselor who noticed a student did not have a bus seat and this was causing issues with their attendance. An assistant superintendent asked if other students were facing the same problem. The answer was yes.
The assistant superintendent looked to the community, which responded in a big way. The United Way of Tri-County and the Jewish Family Service of MetroWest agreed to split the cost of the bikes. The founders of 1854 Cycling Company founder and Crimson Bikes handled the challenging job of finding the bikes and helping the school negotiate a good price. As bikes were distributed at different schools, Framingham Police sent police officers to help fit the helmets. Another important aspect is Massachusetts Safe Routes to School is providing on-site training for the students, emphasizing the importance of wearing a helmet and using hand signals. As we mentioned, Breakstone, White & Gluck and our Project KidSafe donated the helmets. With so many community partners, we really enjoyed helping the students get started riding safely.
To learn more, read the Framingham Public Schools press release.
See the photos from the MetroWest Daily News.
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
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.
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.
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
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 Project KidSafe Campaign Recognized for Bicycle Helmet Donations and Commitment to Safety at Massachusetts Safe Routes to School Awards Event
Massachusetts Safe Routes to School, the statewide program which teaches children how to walk and bike to school safely, honored 14 communities with awards at the State House this morning. Breakstone, White & Gluck and our Project KidSafe campaign were also recognized for donating children’s bicycle helmets to the program.
Attorney David White of Breakstone, White & Gluck attended the 2016 Massachusetts Safe Routes to School Awards and is shown here with Jana Linhart, a school outreach coordinator with Massachusetts Safe Routes.
Lt. Governor Karyn Polito was the keynote speaker at the 2016 Safe Routes to School Awards ceremony, which was held in the Grand Staircase Hall. Other speakers included: Scott Bosworth, the chief strategy officer for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT); Michael Cahill, mayor of the City of Beverly and Diane Hanson, program director for Massachusetts Safe Routes to School.
Breakstone, White & Gluck has partnered with Massachusetts Safe Routes to School (Massachusetts Safe Routes) for the past two years, by donating bicycle helmets to children who need one and participate in the organization’s bicycle safety programs. In 2016, we donated 400 new bicycle helmets for children.
“We have already given away a third of the helmets this year. We are so thankful for their support,” said Nikki Tishler, of Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), while addressing the event. MassDOT manages the Safe Routes to School program.
Breakstone, White & Gluck has made these bicycle helmet donations as part of our Project KidSafe campaign, which we launched in 2013 with a goal of keeping children and families safe. We have since donated over 10,000 bicycle helmets to children across Massachusetts, with help from organizations such as Massachusetts Safe Routes, Boston Bikes’ Roll It Forward, Bikes Not Bombs, CYCLE Kids and many local bicycle committees, schools and police departments.
Our law firm wants to help promote bicycle safety in Massachusetts. Wearing a bicycle helmet is the most effective way for cyclists to protect themselves from a head injury and is especially important for children in case of a bicycle accident or fall. Still, many children and families do not wear one and we want to help make a difference.
Massachusetts Safe Routes has been making a difference and protecting children for 10 years. It was one of the first Safe Routes programs in the country and today, its programming reaches over 333,000 students. It works with 51 percent of schools in Massachusetts, has 740 partner schools and is active in 199 communities. In addition to educating students, it works with school resource police officers and organizes fun events such as bike rodeos. It has also started developing programs to help children walk and bike to school safely in the winter.
If you are a parent, you may be familiar with Safe Routes programming. If not, visit the website for a list of important safety tips: http://www.commute.com/safe-routes-to-school/resources.
The 2016 Massachusetts Safe Routes to Schools awards list:
Exemplary Program North Region
Lincoln Elementary School, WinchesterExemplary Program South Region
Joseph H. Gibbons Elementary School, StoughtonExemplary Program Central Region
Burbank Elementary School, BelmontExemplary Program West Region
Rebecca M. Johnson Elementary School, SpringfieldCommunity Collaboration
Milton Transportation & Traffic Sub-CommitteeMeasurable Impact
New Bedford Public SchoolsBiking All-Star
Leroy Wood School, FairhavenWalking All-Star
Letourneau Elementary School, Fall RiverWinter Walking and Biking
Marcella R. Kelly Full Service Community School, HolyokeRegional Superheros of the Year
Mass in Motion Coordinators, Lynn
The Supervisor of Health Services, Stoughton Public Schools
Newton Safe Routes to School Task Force Founder, Newton
Mass in Motion Coordinator, North Adams