Dozens of Windsor youth will be riding their bikes with an extra layer of safety after a free giveaway Saturday afternoon. Hosted by the Brain Injury Association of Windsor & Essex (BIAWE), children received a free bike helmet and a fitting to raise awareness of concussions. One by one, families filed through the doors at the Assisted Living Southwestern Ontario building to pick up their new gear. “We find that most kids actually don’t have helmets or don’t have helmets that fit them properly. So, [at] this event, we make sure that the kids get the helmets and also that they’re fit properly,” said Lisa Gaspar, a social worker and client service coordinator for the BIAWE. Considered the “first line of defense”, wearing a helmet can help mitigate head injuries during a fall. When fitted correctly, the association notes that two fingers will fit between the bottom of the helmet and your eyebrows, the straps will sit snuggly around your ears, and one finger will fit between your chin strap and chin. A barrier to preventative measures like bike helmets can often be the cost, Gaspar said. This can cause riders to use helmets even when they don’t fit or are damaged. “If you’re falling and you hit your head, if your helmet isn’t fit properly, it’s not going to protect you to the full extent that it could,” Gaspar said. They began the day with upwards of 100 helmets of different sizes and colours. In part, the event aimed to raise awareness about support groups run for youth with a history of head trauma, and for parents with children who have a history of head trauma. Rachel Olsen, the executive director of the BIAWE, said communication between parents and children is a key component of addressing concussions. “If you hit your head, you have to tell your parents, your teacher, your coach. It’s really important that you get that intervention if you need it. So, seeing your doctor, getting checked for a concussion, and then following concussion protocol,” Olsen explained. Signs of a concussion, according to the association, include trouble thinking clearly, issues sleeping, and physical problems such as feeling dizzy or having headaches.
