April 27, 2007 - All primary students at a local school will now be able to participate fully in school skating outings due to a project by “ThinkFirst Canada”, who provided a class-full of helmets to the winner of a local Wear the Gear Slogan Contest.
A contest was run by Thunder Bay District Health Unit and the Thunder Bay Risk Watch Coalition where students from kindergarten to grade three were encouraged to create a slogan, poem, or song that promoted the use of protective gear during winter sports. Ogden School was named the contest winner today. Ogden School will receive a class-full of helmets Friday afternoon.
Ogden School primary teachers and their students got together and wrote a winter safety song, sung to the tune of “This Old Man”. The creative lyrics along with an accompanying taped version of the students singing their song, captured the hearts of contest judges.
“Our students will all be safe and afforded the opportunity to skate with their friends at the same time. There will no longer be kids disappointed about sitting and waiting for a helmet”, say the Ogden primary teachers, Jennifer Hanna-Gardiner, Kelly Headman, Robin Tabor-John and Lisa Cassidy.
“Each year in Ontario, there are more than 5000 emergency room visits related to ice skating falls alone,” stated Marita Campbell of the Thunder Bay District Health Unit. “It is our goal to reduce these types of injuries by making it the norm to Wear the Gear.”
The mission of the ThinkFirst Foundation of Canada is to prevent brain and spinal cord injury through education aimed at healthy behaviours in children and youth. Specific funding for the helmets was made available through a generous donation from Ministry of Tourism and Recreation of Ontario.
Media are invited to a Photo Opportunity
The helmets will be delivered at Ogden School, 600 McKenzie St. Friday, April 27, 2007 at 2 pm
Attached is a copy of the winning song.
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For more information:
Laura J. Craig
Coordinator, Marketing & Communications
or
Marita Campbell, Public Health Nurse
(807) 625-5900