More than 600 third-graders from the Milwaukee Public Schools escaped the classroom, but not their lessons Thursday morning.
Experts from the Milwaukee Police and Sheriff’s Department’s bike patrols instructed them on how to ride safely on city streets; how to check for traffic, avoid obstacles and stop safely. Wearing a helmet was their first and most important lesson, keeping with the Winners Wear Helmets theme for the day.
This marked the 10th year that a group of community organizations pooled their resources to help protect young minds outside the classroom. Safe Kids Southeast Wisconsin took the lead, with help from the Metropolitan Milwaukee Knights of Kiwanis and a half-dozen partners.
Students put their lessons to the test in the Winners Wear Helmets Bike Rodeo. Photo by Tom Held
A third-grader struggles for balance in the Winners Wear Helmets Bike Rodeo. Photo by Tom Held
All of the children received free helmets donated to Safe Kids Southeast Wisconsin by the Habush Habush & Rottier Charitable Foundation.
Over 13 years, the foundation has distributed more than 100,000 helmets, using roughly $1 million from the payments the firm received from the state settlement with tobacco companies.
“This is a great injury prevention program our kids have,” said Robert Habush, chairman of the law firm’s board. “We’d rather prevent injuries than represent the victims later.”
Following the kids’ bike rodeo, adults joined the fun in the Celebrity Bike Challenge. State Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) faced Jen Lada, from Fox6 News, and a few bike riding law enforcers on a skills-testing challenge.
I would humbly report that I won the challenge, showing that my athletic skills are best-suited for going slow.
