Marian Regional Medical Center Donates Bike Helmets to Local Schoolchildren

After completing a bike safety course, students at Alvin & Rice Elementary Schools in Santa Maria can purchase low-cost, reliable bicycles and receive a free helmet 

SANTA MARIA, CA – April 20, 2022 – Marian Regional Medical Center recently donated 60 helmets to second and third graders who completed a four-week bike safety and training course at Alvin and Rice Elementary Schools in Santa Maria. The hands-on bicycle education course was taught by volunteers from SBBIKE+COAST in partnership with the local schools. 

After students completed the four-week bike safety and training course, SBBIKE+COAST hosted a bike sale event for students to put their education to good use. The pre-owned bikes sold at the event are carefully inspected and renovated for safety and longevity. All bikes are sold for $20 and include a complimentary helmet to ensure students get on the road safely. According to the CDC, when helmets are used, overall head injuries are reduced by about 60 percent and reduced fatalities by about 73 percent.

SBBIKE+COAST’s mission is to promote walking, bicycling, and public transit county-wide to create healthy, sustainable, and equitable communities. They encourage children to walk or ride bicycles to school and understand the importance of teaching them how to reach their destination safely. The county-wide Safe Routes to School program reaches more than 10,000 students annually. 

Heather Deutsch, Executive Director of SBBIKE+COAST, highlighted the importance of Marian’s helmet donation, “We are so grateful for Marian Regional Medical Center's partnership and support. We teach kids how to ride bikes safely and it is so critical they have a reliable helmet to depend on once they begin riding their bike to school and around town."

For more information about the program, or to volunteer or donate, visit SBBIKE+COAST’s website at www.sbbike.org/get_involved.

 

 

 

 

PHOTOS [Top - Bike Education Course, Middle - Liberty School, Bottom - Rice School]

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About Marian Regional Medical Center

Marian Regional Medical Center is a state-of-the-art, 191-bed medical center located in Santa Maria, California. The modern facility is home to a broad array of services including a level III trauma center, a level III neonatal intensive care unit, a nationally recognized cardiac care center, and boasts the Central Coast’s only Comprehensive Community Cancer Program as recognized by the Commission on Cancer. Marian has been recognized for quality and patient safety and named one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades®.

Marian Regional Medical Center together with Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in Arroyo Grande, and French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, comprise Dignity Health Central Coast, a network of hospitals, physicians, and outpatient services including physician offices, ambulatory surgery centers, technologically-advanced laboratories and imaging centers, and a full service home health agency. Learn more at dignityhealth.org/marianregional.