Two hundred and twenty three students at Lincoln Elementary School in Gallup, NM got a reason to feel safer while riding their bikes this summer: free new helmets
The New Mexico Brain Injury Advisory Council (NMBIAC)—a program sponsored by the New Mexico Governor’s Commission on Disability provided the helmets. The council’s mission is to promote prevention and stimulate public awareness and decrease the incidence of preventable brain injuries.
Just a few days before the school closed for summer vacation, the students in kindergarten through Grade 5 were fitted with their own certified safety helmets and taught how to “think first and use their minds to protect their bodies.” Monica Montoya and Guy Surdi from NMBIAC were joined by ThinkFirst Navajo team members for the presentations and fittings.
Monica Montoya, coordinator of NM Brain Injury Advisory Council fitting a young Navajo student with a shiny new helmet.
Educating students about bicycle safety
“Educating students at a young age about bicycle helmet safety is important so they establish a habit of wearing a helmet,” said Monica Montoya, coordinator of the NM Brain Injury Advisory Council. Montoya also added that kids are are at high risk for brain and spinal cord injuries during the summer months.
Jodee Dennison, director of our ThinkFirst Navajo Injury Prevention program talked about the function of the brain to the children and spoke with each class about the importance of protecting their heads with properly fitted helmets. Dennison emphasized that the students should not only wear helmets when riding on bikes, but also on horses, skate-boards, off-road vehicles or while participating in other sports such as, rodeos, football, and skiing.
In exchange for receiving the donated helmets, each student pledged that they would “always wear a bike helmet, on every ride, near or far, fast or slow.” They also promised to remind their friends and family to wear a helmet.
A happy Navajo student with his new helmet and bicycle safety book donated by the NM Brain Injury Awareness Council accompanied by Josh Longhat, ThinkFirst Navajo VIP.
Our VIP (Voice for Injury Prevention) speakers, Joshua Longhat and Cecelia Fred, both of whom sustained permanent spinal cord injuries that could have been prevented, assisted with the helmet fittings. Each child was given an educational activity book, provided by NMBIAC, introducing students and their parents to the importance of promoting safety helmet use from an early age.
ThinkFirst Navajo VIP Cecelia Fred surrounded by smiling students from Lincoln Elementary with their new bike helmets.
Grateful for our Partnerships
Eve’s Fund and our ThinkFirst Navajo program are grateful to be collaborating with the New Mexico Brain Injury Advisory Council on this important injury prevention initiative. We are fortunate for their support and belief in the importance of the work we are doing across the Navajo Nation to reduce fatalities and injuries in Native American youth.
As well, we are thankful to Edgardo B. Castro, principal of Lincoln Elementary who quickly saw the value of offering injury prevention education to his students. “One of my top priorities is to ensure that our kids are safe, healthy, and happy,” Castro said. “I want to let them know they are valued and respected in our school community.”
Most importantly, none of our educational programs would be possible without the ongoing generosity of our donors. We appreciate donations of any dollar amount and are committed to putting every dollar to good use.
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Smiling Kids
Two smiling Lincoln Elementary School students with their new helmets and guidebooks on bicycle safety with ThinkFirst Navajo VIP, Josh Longhat.
What a great way to end the school year! We hope the enthusiastic ‘thank yous’ and words of appreciation from the kids were an indication that our educational program had a positive effect on their future safety and well-being.
Best of all, was seeing 223 smiling faces and knowing that someday our efforts could prevent a traumatic injury or save a young life.
About ThinkFirst Navajo
ThinkFirst Navajo, a major program of Eve’s Fund for Native American Health Initiatives, is 1 of 171 chapters of the ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation and the only one serving a federally recognized Native American Reservation. If you live on or near the Navajo Nation in Arizona, New Mexico, or Utah and would like to schedule a free injury prevention presentation at a school, conference, summer camp or other event, please contact director Jodee Dennison, MPH through Eve’s Fund at: Contact Us.
Thank You from Eve’s Fund and from all of the children we serve!
