San Angelo Children Receive Bicycle Helmets from Concho Valley County Medical Society

SAN ANGELO, TX — The physicians of Concho Valley County Medical Society urged local children to be active and helped them stay healthy while participating in sports on wheels by giving away 200 free bicycle helmets Saturday, August 11th at the Back-to-School Celebration in Sunset Mall.

The bicycle helmet giveaway was part of a statewide effort — Hard Hats for Little Heads — launched by the Texas Medical Association in 1994. The program promotes fun exercise and teaches parents and children about the importance of wearing a helmet. The event was sponsored by the Concho Valley County Medical Society, in conjunction with the Texas Medical Association.

Texas physicians encourage wearing a helmet for all sports on wheels — biking, skateboarding, inline skating, and riding a scooter. And doctors want kids to wear the correct helmet for the sport and make sure it fits properly. Local physicians were on hand at the event to properly fit the helmets.

Cycling is the No. 1 cause of injury to children aged 14 and younger. Injuries resulting from bicycles, scooters, skateboards, and inline and roller skates account for more than 500,000 emergency department visit annually for children under age 14.

“Wearing a bicycle helmet is such a simple way to help ensure a child’s health and safety,” said Stuart Abramson, MD, president-elect of Concho Valley County Medical Society. “We doctors wanted to kick off the school year by putting a helmet on children’s heads.”

Head injury is the most common cause of death and serious disability from bike crashes. A helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent, yet fewer than half of cyclists wear one when they ride.

Since TMA’s Hard Hats for Little Heads program began, TMA has given away more than 280,000 helmets to Texas children. Hard Hats for Little Heads is supported in 2018 through a TMA Foundation grant thanks to top donors — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, an anonymous physician and spouse, TMAF Make-A-Difference donors, and the Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio — and generous gifts from TMA and TMA Alliance members, and friends of medicine.