June 22, 2010 — The riders4helmets campaign operated by helmet advocate Jeri Bryant and supported by SUCCEED? has organized a National Helmet Awareness Day endorsed by the U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) to be held July 10, 2010. riders4helmets has teamed up with leading helmet manufacturers to offer discounts on helmets to equestrians via participating retailers nationwide on this day. Helmet brands that are to be included in the promotion to date include: Troxel, Charles Owen, GPA and Aegis (Devon-Aire). Visit www.riders4helmets.com to locate a dealer near you.
An official event to celebrate National Helmet Awareness Day will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, featuring experts in safety and leading equestrians.
John Hall, president of Freedom Health, LLC, manufacturers of SUCCEED?, said, “The National Helmet Awareness Day is an educational event that we hope will become an annual event on the calendar. The riders4helmets campaign goal is to provide information to equestrians on the benefits of wearing a helmet, in order that they can then make an informed choice for their own safety. We’re proud to support this.”
Kemi O’Donnell who lost her 12-year old daughter, Christen, as a result of head injuries sustained from a riding accident in 1998, welcomed the National Helmet Awareness Day and riders4helmets campaign. “I am grateful to riders4helmets for launching this campaign to highlight the importance of always wearing a ASTM/SEI certified helmet while in the saddle.”
Individuals or organizations wishing to hold their own event to recognize National Helmet Awareness Day may email lwhite@freedomhealthllc.com for helmet awareness graphics and other support materials.
“You don’t physically have to attend the event at the Kentucky Horse Park to participate in Helmet Awareness Day,” said Bryant, co-founder of the riders4helmets campaign. “You can participate just by wearing a helmet on July 10, no matter whether you are trail riding, showing or competing.”
The www.riders4helmets.com campaign has already received the official endorsement of USEF, U.S. Eventing Association, U.S. Dressage Federation, American Riding Instructors Association, Equestrian Aid Foundation, Certified Horsemanship Association, Professional Riders Organization, Equestrian Medical Safety Association and many leading equestrians such as Robert Dover, Lendon Gray, Ilse Schwarz, Allison Springer and more. The website homepage is a blog that will be updated frequently with news regarding the campaign.
