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Hawarden Police Department, Fire Department and Ambulance
Host Bicycle Safety Class

May 2004 By Chief Mike DeBruin
The Hawarden Police Department, Hawarden Fire Department and Hawarden Ambulance held a bicycle rodeo for all children from Kindergarten through 5th grade. 19 kids participated in the event.
At the bicycle rodeo the kids were given a safety lecture, helmets were checked for proper fit, had their bicycles ran through a bicycle safety checklist, were taught proper rules of the road, and then rode their bicycles through the chalk path. Kids were shown how wearing a helmet might protect their head in an accident with the use of a melon. When a melon with no protection was dropped on the ground it split much like the skull could in a bicycle accident. Next a melon inside a bicycle helmet was dropped to the ground and the kids could see the melon was perfectly intact because of the protection given to it by the helmet.

At the event there were one boys and one girls 24 inch Mountain Bike given away to a lucky participant. In the boys category the winner of the bicycle was Matt Anderson.
In the girls category
Kelsey Hemmelrick was the winner.

To show our commitment to the safety of the children in our community, 15 bicycle helmets were given to participants who either did not have a bicycle helmet or whose helmet was in need of repair or replacement.

This will kick off a bicycle helmet promotion. If a child is seen wearing a bicycle helmet while riding their bike, by a member of the Ambulance, Fire or Police Departments, they will be given a certificate for a free ice cream cone at the Drive-In and Quick Corner. Studies have shown that wearing a bicycle helmet when riding can reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85% and can reduce the risk of brain injury by almost 90%. We would encourage parents to consider these numbers and look out for the safety of their child.
At the end of the event all of the participants were given bicycle safety handouts and were treated to certificates for a free slush and a free ice cream cone from the Drive-In.