Each second grade student in Yankton received a new bike helmet on March 21 thanks to the annual bike helmet giveaway sponsored by Yankton Medical Clinic, P.C. and Yankton Rotary Club International.  This annual event has been helping Yankton youth be safe for 24 years.

The students gathered at Yankton High School auditorium and learned about bike safety from the Yankton Police Department and Dr. David Withrow in which he used a watermelon to demonstrate what can happen to your head in an accident.  “I can fix a broken bone or a scraped knee, but I can’t fix a broken head.” Withrow encouraged kids to always wear their helmet on every bike ride.

South Dakota Senator and Yankton Rotarian Craig Kennedy and other Rotary Club members organized this program as an effort to encourage children to be active and seen in our community. “Rotary is proud to be the continuing donor for this program and thankful for the partnerships formed by both Kopetsky’s Ace Hardware and Yankton Medical Clinic to ensure our youth are educated on bike safety and practicing safe riding,” Yankton Rotarian Kerry Hacecky said. Hacecky is one of 24 Yankton Rotarians funding the bike helmet program.

Two hundred thirty-six helmets were fitted by volunteers from Yankton Medical Clinic, P.C., Yankton Rotary Club and University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine students (Yankton Campus) in less than an hour.  Yankton Police Department officers will reward youth with a free ice cream cone if “caught” wearing a bike helmet while riding in thanks to a partnership with McDonald’s of Yankton.