Kids Geared Up for Summer Fun with Free Helmets

Students at Golf Road Junior Public School in Scarborough got a lesson in bike safety and a brand-new helmet as part of an ongoing initiative designed to enhance cycling safety for children across the city.

“It’s an opportunity to give back and it just brings us together,” says Traffic Services Constable Peter De Quintal. “And it’s also great to see these kids, they can look at us potentially as role models and see another possibility of what they can be when they grow up.” 

The giveaway, a collaboration between the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, law firm Jewell Radimisis Jorge LLP and the Toronto Police Service, aims to reduce head injuries as children prepare to take to the streets on bikes and scooters in warmer weather. 

Now in its seventh year, the program has distributed 3,500 helmets to students across more than 10 schools. 

Officers were present to properly fit each helmet using the “2-V-1" rule – the helmet should sit two fingers above the eyebrows, the V-shaped straps fit around the ears, and there should be enough room for one finger between the chin and strap.  It’s a simple yet crucial fitting technique – one that could make all the difference in the event of a fall or collision. 

Eight-year-old Hafsa Patel grins as she adjusts the straps of her helmet, making sure it fits just right. 

“My bike helmet is comfortable and I like the colours too. It fits me perfectly,” she says, showing off the red, white, and black design. “I'm going to wear it whenever I go for a bike ride so that if I fall down, I don't get injured.” 

Returning to his childhood school, Constable Veeththakan Kaveekaran, who was inspired to become a police officer by his own School Resource Officer, now hopes to motivate the next generation of officers. 

"It's surreal to come back to a place where I grew up in,” he says. “Hopefully, we can inspire many of the young kids here to also become police officers and give back to the community they grow up in."

Police officers got help from Tina Radimisis, a lawyer with Jewell Radimisis Jorge LLP, who helps fund the giveaway, and former Toronto Raptor Jamaal Magloire, who made his career journey from Scarborough to the NBA. 

With its continued growth, the program not only aims to prevent injuries but also builds a sense of community and safety for kids.