The Brain. Our finest organ. Our most delicate organ it seems. With the rush of media surrounding concussions lately, (not to mention the arrival of Spring) it's time to discuss how to protect your brain and what local organizations are doing to promote brain injury awareness and injury prevention.
Let's give you an introduction to the Helmets on Kids Program, run by the Brain Injury Association of Peel and Halton Region (BIAPH) and others in the Peel Region and then let's discuss a new not for profit organization, the NOBI Foundation.
Gluckstein Personal Injury Lawyers LLP is a Proud Gold Level Sponsor of BIAPH. BIAPH was founded in 1986 by parents, spouses and service providers of individuals suffering from the effects of a brain injury. The association is made up of a volunteer board of directors. BIAPH is a child agency to the Ontario Brain Injury Association (OBIA) with many sister agencies across Ontario.
Gluckstein Personal Injury Lawyer's Sandev Purewal is the President of the Board of Directors of BIAPH. This comes as no surprise as Sandev is really a leader when it comes to community work. Sandev is actively involved in fundraising initiatives for BIAPH and in promoting the organization. Sandev chairs the Peel Region "Helmet on Kids" project which provides free bicycle helmets to children in need. Take the opportunity to look at the BIAPH website and learn more about this wonderful initiative:
- Helmets on Kids began in 2002 as an initiative by the Ontario Trials Association (OTLA), in London, Ontario
- The goal is to donate bicycle helmets, promote education and awareness on proper bicycle helmet use
- In 2008, the project was extended to the Peel and Halton region
- Helmets on Kids in Peel is a joint venture of BIAPH , OTLA, the Peel Children's Safety Village, Peel Regional Police, Peel Public Health and Peel District School Board.
- The kick off event and safety assemblies are held every June to coincide with Brain Injury Awareness Month.
See the Bike Helmet Safety Checklist Below to ensure proper helmet use! (courtesy of BIAPH) Well, we know that kids aren't just interested in bicycles, they are interested in other sports too...as are young adults, and adults...like...skateboarding and long-boarding. Enter NOBI. NOBI= No Brain Injuries. A not for profit organization, a helmet and safe sports program set up and owned by Mitchell Moshenberg, who is an avid action sports participant himself. NOBI- Healing the world, one push at a time.
NOBI- "On a mission to educate, to teach safe skating practices and helmet use in the action sports industry and we are most actively involved in the skateboard and long-board world". - Mitch Moshenberg
NOBI's other owner is Michael Brooke, the editor and publisher of the Concrete Wave magazine, an internationally distributed specialty magazine for skateboarders and long-boarders. Mitchell, a man of many trades, has worked with brain injury survivors, victims of serious car accidents, medical malpractice and personal injury lawyers all across Ontario. He is a master builder, project manager, construction consultant and barrier free design build expert. Combine this with his love for action sports like skateboarding and long-boarding and you can understand where the idea for NOBI came from.
NOBI promotes a wholesome message of health, fitness and competition through innovative sponsorship and collaborative event marketing strategies. NOBI promotes proper helmet use and safe skating practices within the skateboard and long-board communities. NOBI's founder also believes that the manufacturers, distributors and retailers of all skateboard/long-board parts must be in line with NOBI's principles. They have to be "NOBI compliant" After all, that is one way to build lasting and strategic alliances. One such company that NOBI has come to have a relationship with is Bustin' Boards of Brooklyn, New York. They have a team rider aptly named "King Solomon" who provided Concrete Wave magazine and NOBI with Rules of the Road. Here are some highlights below:
- Thou shalt always wear protection, especially your helmet. Accidents happen. Be prepared.
- Thou shalt always check your setup before you ride each day. Hardware loosens and/or gets damaged. Regular maintenance prevents accident.
- Though shalt use hand signals when skating. Let those in your path know where you're headed. Let those skating with you know where you're going and whether it is safe to proceed.
King Solomon's rules can also be applied to bicycling: always protect your head and wear your helmet right? Always make sure your bike is in working order! And you are supposed to use hand signals...Thanks Solomon!
NOBI even has its own professional team of skaters who act as exemplary role models to youth and fans. Solomon is a NOBI Ambassador. Another wonderful aspect of NOBI which is beyond admirable is the fact that the foundation was set up to assist brain injury survivors in the area of vocational rehabilitation. NOBI opens its programs to all brain injury survivors and assists in funding vocation rehabilitation programs and brain injury awareness and prevention programs. Of course, NOBI is a support of local and national brain injury associations. NOBI is another very proud sponsor of the Brain Injury Association of Peel and Halton.
Mitch 'NOBI' Moshenberg told this blogger that:
"NOBI's goals are to participate in fundraising initiatives with important players in the brain injury world such as local brain injury associations like BIAPH and we would like to participate in activities with BIAPH. We would like to assist them in their fundraising efforts, by bringing to them initiatives, where we present real life situations [to students], demonstrated by people actively involved in action sports ie athletes who participate in inherently dangerous sports. They can demonstrate helmet safety in a scientific and safe manner and become an example of how to prevent brain injuries."
The NOBI Foundation hosts and co-hosts skate days at local parks. Clinics are held to promote smart skating practices. Helmets are mandatory at these events. If participants do not bring a helmet, one will be supplied to them. Participants are taught about safe skating, helmet use, eating well, skating well, and thinking well. It is a true family fun event that NOBI is proud to host. NOBI will promotes safety standards at action sports events. The foundation helps any organization that wants to make an event safe, through its relationship with safety equipment companies and local authorities. One of the biggest challenges these days is getting kids to wear helmets and getting kids to accept helmet use as being "cool". That's wear safety ambassadors like Solomon and NOBI's skateboard team and pro-athletes come in.
First of all, did you know that there such a thing as a dual rated helmet? This helmet is safe to use for biking, skateboarding and snowboarding! An all-in-one!!!
Secondly, if your child were willing to wear a helmet because it was nice looking, safety compliant, and "cool", would you purchase it for them? NOBI can do that for you. No joke.
Another innovation from Mr. Moshenberg. "Kids don't want to wear helmets that have 'no cool factor' and 'no dedication'. They see a guy like Solomon with his blue burn helmet, with Bustin' in white letters emblazoned on the side, they will wear that helmet." The reality is...Youth follow trends. NOBI will capture those trends because it and its founders care about safety and because of the relationship it has with brain injury associations.
How can we add the cool factor to helmets according to Mitch?
- Incorporate the heroes, idols, pro-athletes: who are they wearing, what tag phrases or words do they have on their helmets? Sponsor names?
- Customize: Silk-screening, imaging, stickers, logos!
- Make it recognizable: It's about the brand.
"The key components are where it comes from, what it looks like, what's on it and how it performs and of course, that it is thoughtfully assembled"
Healing the world...One Push at Time...Healing the world....One Helmet at a Time...
Expertise.
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