A Recap of Bike Helmet Ed Event

A recent Bike and Helmet Safety Event in Franklin distributed more than 50 free helmets while giving children and families an opportunity to learn about bicycle and brain safety.

The event, held Sept. 12 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in the Franklin High School parking lot, was organized by Alison Rheaume in partnership with state Rep. Jeffrey Roy, the Franklin Police Department, MassBike and the Franklin Department of Public Works.

Community volunteers also assisted, with Franklin Fathers helping with setup and cleanup and providing tables and chairs.

Organizers distributed 54 free bicycle helmets donated by Roy, AAA and the Franklin Police Department. One participant also won a bicycle and helmet in a free raffle.

MassBike and Franklin Police Sgt. Connor Crosman helped children navigate a bicycle safety course, teaching such practices as stopping at stop signs and safely negotiating roadways. The DPW supplied cones and road signs to make the course more realistic.

Children were also encouraged to personalize their new helmets with stickers and paint pens. Rheaume said decorating a helmet can help make wearing one more appealing, particularly for younger riders.

Franklin Fire and EMS brought a fire truck for children to explore and distributed toy fire helmets.

A number of organizations concerned with brain injuries, bicycling and road safety participated, including Buddy the Brain, The Well Brain, the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts, MassAbility, AAA Franklin and the Blackstone Valley chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association. Roy also had a table at the event, while representatives of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation attended.

Rheaume, a brain injury survivor and educator, said bicycle and helmet safety has become an increasingly important issue, particularly with the growing popularity of e-bikes.

“You need your brain for everything and you cannot replace it,” she said, emphasizing that riders of all ages should take precautions to protect themselves.

Rheaume also used the event, held during Concussion Awareness Month, to emphasize an important distinction about helmets. While helmets can help prevent skull fractures and related brain injuries, they do not prevent concussions. She said anyone who strikes their head in a fall or accident should consider being medically evaluated for a concussion even if a helmet was worn.

Rheaume is also the author and illustrator of “Buddy the Brain,” a children's book designed to help families begin conversations about the brain, brain injuries and the importance of protective measures such as wearing helmets.

She encouraged people of all ages to wear properly fitted and buckled helmets while using bicycles, scooters, hoverboards and similar devices. Experience, she said, does not eliminate the possibility of an accident caused by road conditions, another vehicle or other unforeseen circumstances.

Rheaume also suggested that people who find helmets boring personalize them with stickers, paint, glitter or tape, provided the decorations do not interfere with the helmet's protective function.

The safety campaign will continue beyond the event. Rheaume collected 125 coupons donated by Franklin businesses and provided them to the Franklin Police Department. Officers will distribute them periodically to children and adults they spot properly wearing helmets while riding around town.

Elizabeth's Bagels donated coupons for free breakfast sandwiches, while Chill Zone and Mac N Shake provided coupons for free ice cream.

The idea, organizers said, is to reward safe behavior while reinforcing a simple message: wearing a helmet should become a routine part of getting on a bike.

Below, Sgt. Connor Crosman, Ali Rheaume, an unknown individual, and Rep. Jeff Roy.