Photo courtesy of GCCSD

A program in Jefferson that has involved several organizations continues to spread their generosity by giving away free bicycles and helmets, but has recently enhanced their message about safety as well.

Jefferson Telecom General Manager and CEO Jamie Daubendiek says the Jefferson Telecom Foundation has been helping to provide free bikes to fourth graders for the past few years. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio Elementary Physical Education Teacher Sean Thompson has been teaching students how to ride a bike, as well as learning about traffic safety and rules of the road for cyclists. He also appreciates Jefferson Kiwanis helping to supply free bike helmets to students.

Daubendiek explains an idea he had to reinforce to the students the importance of wearing a helmet was showing them the aftermath of when his sister was hit by a vehicle in 2010. She was in a coma and made a recovery and Daubendiek emphasizes it’s because the helmet saved her life.

“And so then we had her bike forever and decided to put it together as a visual. And so this is the first time this year of being able to take that to the kids at the elementary school and show that, because all the kids I talk to it’s like, ‘You know I’ve fallen before and nothing happened,’ and ‘I’m free nothing is going to happen to me.’ And that’s what I told them, ‘The same thing happened to my sister. She was fine until she wasn’t.’  And that’s what it’s (the helmet) there for is those unexpected situations.”  

Daubendiek says the back half of the bike was shattered and the parts were put back together where they should go and that visual alone shocked the students and he feels made a lasting impact and a positive message to always wear a bike helmet.