Dunbar to hold annual bicycle safety day
DUNBAR – Pre-registration is now being accepted for the second annual Dunbar Borough Bicycle Safety Derby to be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on May 21. Borough Council Health and Safety committee chairman Ron Gross and committee member Kathy Dynes said last year’s event brought out 60 children.
“We had about 60 kids who attended last year’s event and we are expecting even more this year,” said Dynes. “The Fayette County Kids Collation will hold car seat inspections for infants and toddlers and we will provide bicycle, scooter and big wheel safety training in addition to inspections.”
Dynes said safety videos will be shown at the Dunbar Volunteer Fire Station on Firemen’s Lane and an obstacle course will be set up in the parking lot of the Franklin United Methodist Church on Bridge Street.
She also said that the Dunbar Police Department will be on hand to help with the inspections in addition to the state police.
“We are also offering again this year replacement of damaged or ill fitted helmets in addition to helmet inspection,” said Dynes. “So anyone, adults and children, who need a new helmet can get one by attending the Bicycle Safety Derby.”
Dynes said the derby isn’t just for Dunbar children. Surrounding community children and adults are welcome to attend as long as they are pre-registered for the event.
“We have over 365 helmets available,” said Dynes. “All they have to do is call the borough building at 724-277-4949 between 9:30 a.m. and noon before May 18 and give us their name or the name of their child and the age group so we will know what size helmet to have on hand.
Parents must also sign an authorization form for children between the ages of three and 12 years of age.
Dynes said the borough received a $3,900 CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) grant to purchase the helmets and to hold the program. She additionally said that businesses and residents who wish to donate to the snack fund are welcome to do so.
“We want to provide a little snack for the kids,” said Dynes. “We are hoping to be able to give them a hot dog, a drink and maybe a cookie or something like that.”
Dynes said she and Gross became involved in the safety program after reading statistics over the Internet.
“When we saw that over 130,000 children suffer head injuries each year while riding bikes, scooters and big wheels, we decided that we had to do something about it,” said Dynes. “Last year’s program went so well that we decided to do it again this year.”