Hundreds get rolling during Wilcox Medical Center’s 10th annual Keiki Bike & Skateboard Safety Day

Hundreds of keiki got rolling the morning of June 28 during Wilcox Medical Center’s 10th annual Keiki Bike & Skateboard Safety Day.

Wilcox, in partnership with community organizations, hosted the free family event, where kids had fun learning how to safely ride their bicycles and skateboards.

One of the most popular booths featured Wilcox physicians and medical students measuring keiki heads to gift them with multi-use helmets that fit properly. Kids could then decorate their free helmets with stickers and markers.

“You want to make sure the helmet fits fine. If it’s sitting up here or the strap is loose, it’s covering your ears or it’s the wrong size, it’s probably not going to protect you if you injure yourself,” said Wilcox Medical Center Chief of Staff Dr. Robert Wotring in a video from the event. “Always make sure you have a properly fitting helmet.”

The day was even more exciting for 55 children who received even bigger gifts — free bicycles donated by Wilcox employees and the community.

Kaua‘i County Council Chairman Mel Rapozo donated one of those bicycles.

”There’s a bunch of kids today who are going to go home with a brand new bike, and if you never had that experience and lived it — where you wanted something so badly and you just couldn’t get it and you come here today and you get it — I don’t know if people can appreciate what it means to that kid and his or her parents,” Rapozo said in the video.

Other highlights from Keiki Bike & Skateboard Safety Day included:

• Bike skills enhancement course by Kaua‘i Path, where kids learned proper hand signals and how to safely navigate turns.
• Skateboard lessons and tips from Play Streets Kaua‘i and Kaua‘i Skate ʻOhana.
• Free bike tune-ups at AlohaCare’s safety inspection station.

Families also learned about concussion prevention at educational booths and could pick up healthy snacks from Wilcox’s food and nutrition team.

“We are proud that Bike & Skateboard Safety Day has become a favorite event for both our employees and our community,” said Wilcox Medical Center President and Chief Executive Officer and Chief Executive Officer of Kaua‘i Medical Clinic Jen Chahanovich in a release after the event.

She added what makes the event even more special is seeing some Kaua‘i keiki grow up, as their families return year-after-year for Bike & Skateboard Safety Day.

“It means a lot knowing that we’re helping to ensure the health and well-being of these kids,” Chahanovich said. “We are committed to creating healthier communities, and this family-friendly event is a part of that.”