AU clubs launch free helmet campaign 11/03/05
Two Alfred University clubs are taking action to protect skateboarders from harm. The AU Skate Division and AU Rescue Squad, two officially recognized student organizations, have purchased 50 skateboarding helmets to distribute to AU students for free on a first-come basis. The distribution of helmets will occur between 11 am and 1 pm on Monday, Nov. 7, at the Powell Campus Center. Students will be asked to show AU identification to obtain a free helmet. Will Daloz, leader of the skateboarding club and the coordinator of the program, explains "We want people to wear helmets because skateboarding can be dangerous. Even though you may be an excellent skater, accidents can happen."During the month of November, the students will be forming a "prize patrol" and rewarding those skaters who are seen wearing the new helmets. Local businesses are also supporting the initiative and have discussed offering discounts during November for students wearing their helmets downtown. Safety concerns regarding skateboarding were on many people's minds this past September, when AU student Sam Lawrence suffered a severe head injury from a skateboard fall. Daloz, who was with Lawrence, recalls "When Sam fell that was one of the worst moments in both of our lives, and NOTHING... no amount of money or avoided discomfort is worth that."Lawrence is currently recovering in Boston and faces a long rehabilitation. His mother, Margaret Lawrence, has written her thoughts regarding helmets on a website which details her son's recovery. She wrote, "Had Sam been wearing (a helmet), he wouldn't be where he is today. Unfortunately most long-boarders and skateboarders don't wear them Please wear them now. For Sam the long board was his means of transportation in a hilly campus. He was on his way to an art opening before heading to the coffee house for a concert. He wasn't doing crazy tricks, just took the turn wrong. Simple as that.
PLEASE WEAR A HELMET."Daloz does not shy away from the realization that many skaters are hesitant to wear helmets. "You need to recognize that accidents can happen to anyone doing anything. That's why they're called
accidents; so be safe, not sorry. I can assure you a helmet while skating is much less uncomfortable than a hospital bed for four months." This free helmet program was funded through AU's Diverse Partnership Grant, which was
established by a university trustee to promote collaboration between student groups that traditionally have not partnered. AU Rescue Squad is a student group that act as emergency first-aid respondents to accident scenes. AU Skate Division's mission is to create a campus environment conducive to the needs of skate boarders. For more information about the free helmet initiative, contact Dan Napolitano, director of Student Activities, at 607 871 2175.
Lawrence, a sophomore in the School of Art & Design, was seriously injured Sept. 2 when he fell off his skateboard on Pine Street. He was initially taken to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, and transferred to Spaulding
Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, MA, three weeks later. He remains there, and continues to make progress in his recovery. He is the son of George and Margaret Lawrence of Yarmouth, Maine. Daloz is a junior ceramic engineering major. He is the son of Charles Daloz of Hancock, NH, and Janet Daloz of Jeffrey, NH.
