Last week, Jodee Dennison, MPH, director of ThinkFirst Navajo—Eve’s Fund’s Injury Prevention Program— delivered 50 more new bike helmets, in 3 different sizes, to Tom Riggenbach, executive director of NavajoYes in Window Rock, AZ—capital of the Navajo Nation. This brings a total of 325 helmets that Eve’s Fund has donated to NavajoYes over the past several years.
Dennison said: “We are pleased to support NavajoYes’ Diné Bike Project once again with the mutual aim of keeping kids out on the trails safe at all times.” Dennison also added, “what so many people don’t understand are the ramifications of a traumatic brain injury, and the fact that this is almost always preventable. The evidence is clear that bicycle helmets can reduce the risk for head injuries by 85%. That’s why we aim to teach kids to Think First and use their minds to protect their bodies.”
The Dinê Bike Project makes restored bikes of all types available to schools, communities and families across the Navajo Nation. Young people receive a bike and helmet, only after providing some time of community service such as restoring trails, repairing bikes, or volunteering at other youth events. For more information on all of NavajoYes’ health and fitness programs, visit their website at: http://navajoyes.org.
Each child who receives a helmet will be properly fitted and will be required to pledge that they will “always wear a bike helmet, on every ride, near or far, fast or slow” and will “promise to remind their friends and family to wear one also.”
Not sure this is the right sized helmet!
NavajoYes’ director, Tom Riggenbach said: “we deeply appreciate Eve’s Fund’s commitment to insuring that all of our young riders are “safe riders” and that they are being protected with helmets. ThinkFirst Navajo’s helmet initiative teaches kids at a young age that the only way to avoid brain and other injuries while riding on bikes, horses, off-road vehicles, skateboards, or participating in other sports like football and skiing, etc. is to wear protective head gear.”
Barbara Crowell Roy, Eve’s Fund president, added: “we have been a proud supporter of many of NavajoYes programs for years, because they share our mission of promoting health and wellness among Native youth with the overall aim of empowering young people to positively affect the world around them. We also like the idea that the bike project is encouraging kids to become actively engaged in their communities by working on projects that are important to them. In essence, the kids have to “earn” their bikes and helmets, so it becomes very meaningful for them.”
Barbara also acknowledged the generosity of individuals and organizations who support Eve’s Fund financially: “We are grateful to the people who believe in the importance of the work we are doing on the Navajo Nation, in our daughter Eve Erin Crowell’s name and memory. Without their “gifts” to Eve’s Fund, year after year, these helmet donations would not be possible.”
About ThinkFirst Navajo
Now in its 13th year, ThinkFirst Navajo gives free presentations at schools, chapter houses, and in other venues across the Navajo Reservation. We owe much of the success of our program to our VIPs (Voices for Injury Prevention), who are all Navajo adults with paralysis. They understand Navajo culture and are willing to openly share their personal stories (visit our Eve’s Fund YouTube Channel to listen to them).
Student volunteer wearing a shiny new helmet provided by Darlene Singer, VIP
At each presentation, a VIP is joined by one of our trained Health Educators who rounds out the presentation using an age-appropriate, science-based curriculum from ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation.
Since its creation in 2005, our ThinkFirst Navajo program has taught more than 50,000 young Native people about injury prevention across the Navajo Nation in the states of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
If you live on or near the Navajo Nation and want to schedule a free presentation in your community, or want to consider starting an injury prevention program in your area, please contact ThinkFirst director Jodee Dennison, MPH, at: https://evecrowellsfund.org/contact-us/.
A $10 donation to our ThinkFirst Injury Prevention Program will purchase one helmet and could save a life or prevent a catastrophic injury. If you can, help us out today by making a donation. These kids are worth it!
