Cycling event moves to Saturday, welcomes kids, parents

TORONTO, June 4, 2015 /CNW/ - Hundreds of young cyclists will welcome the summer season with safety in mind thanks to the annual Helmets on Kids campaign, which is being held on a Saturday for the first time this year.

Organized by Toronto critical injury lawyer Patrick Brown, a partner with McLeish Orlando LLP, the annual initiative sees 500 helmets donated to students in an effort to stop the dangerous trend of kids riding bikes without helmets.

This year's event, to be held at Parkdale Junior and Senior Public School, will run in conjunction with a Saturday Bike Fair. The helmet donation will be one part of the fair, with other activities including a bike signal demonstration and an obstacle course.

The event takes place on June 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with Brown scheduled to speak in the morning. The weekend date means parents can attend with their children. "These kids are the next generation of Torontonians, and I'd love to see them all on their bikes, having the opportunity to ride for the rest of their lives," says Brown. "We should all take an active role in making sure there are proper areas where kids can cycle and ride their bikes in safety. That's something I want everyone to work hard for."

"Studies show that helmets reduce the severity of head injuries in accident victims," says Brown. "The event is about raising awareness of the importance of using your bike for health and transportation and that wearing helmets is a good habit to have into adulthood," he says. Ontario passed a law in 1995 requiring cyclists under the age of 18 to wear a helmet. Parents can also be charged if they knowingly allow their children, who are under 16, to ride without a helmet on a roadway or sidewalk.

"The more we can get our kids off the PlayStation and onto bikes, the better for everyone," says Brown. "It's important that we all make sure the roads are safe and that kids can use the roads to ride their bikes."

Toronto's Helmets on Kids campaign was launched in 2009 by McLeish Orlando LLP. Since its inception, the campaign has donated helmets to more than 1,500 students across Toronto.

SOURCE McLeish Orlando LLP

Nikaela Macaalay, McLeish Orlando LLP, [email protected], 416-366-3311