PREBLE COUNTY — After a year off from delivering bike helmets due to COVID-19, Preble Trails returned this past week to bring 425 bike helmets to third graders across the county on Tuesday, May 4.
“This is really the first time for us getting back out into the community,” said Dan Schmidt, committee chair for Preble Trails. “Typically, we do an in-person helmet giveaway presentation to the Eaton kids every year, which we weren’t able to do last year.”
Preble Trails began by donating bike helmets to second graders in Eaton in 2016, and according to Schmidt, opened it up to all county schools three years ago.
However, since last year’s event was cancelled, Preble Trails didn’t want to leave last year’s group of second graders behind.
“We didn’t want to miss that group,” Schmidt said. “Moving forward, we’re going to stay with third graders that way we don’t miss anybody.”
While some of the money for helmets comes out of Preble Trail’s funds, the majority comes from a grant through the Ohio chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
As part of Ohio AAP’s “Put a Lid on It!” bike helmet safety campaign, over 57,000 helmets have been given out since 2011, including 1,250 helmets in Preble County since 2016.
Later this summer, Preble Trails will host the Preble Trails Family Ride in conjunction with Buckeye Bridge Ride on Saturday, June 26.
Riders will begin at 9 a.m. from the Eaton High School athletic complex at 600 Hillcrest Dr. and travel 1.5 miles through Fort St. Clair.
Funds from the upcoming ride will support Preble Trails, “a nonprofit committee devoted to the promotion of of cycling and the creation of safe access throughout the community for cyclists of all ages,” according to their website.
For more info, visit https://www.prebletrails.org or email [email protected].
