Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC’s Hard Head Patrol Returns to the Streets to Reinforce Helmet Safety

The Kohl’s Hard Head Patrol, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC’s program educating children of all ages on the importance of wearing a helmet correctly and at all times, while riding anything with wheels and/or on anything with wheels, returns for the season.

Now in its 11th year, from May through September, trained Children’s employees, including medical staff, will travel through communities in western Pennsylvania spreading awareness about the importance of helmet use and the dangers to kids who aren’t wearing them or who aren’t wearing them properly.

Patrollers keep an eye out for kids wearing helmets, and educate families and kids on how to make proper helmet adjustments for correct fit and protection. A child spotted who is wearing a helmet will be rewarded with a Subway gift card. Any child spotted not wearing a helmet will be given a coupon for a free helmet and fitting. Last year, more than 50 Kohl’s Hard Head Patrol volunteers traveled through 75 communities, giving out more than 600 Subway gift cards and fitting and supplying more than 4,000 helmets to children free of charge.

“As the Kohl’s Hard Head Patrol program continues to grow year after year, we are forging beneficial partnerships with more communities and organizations, which increases the awareness of the importance of children and adults to wear a helmet,” said Barbara A. Gaines, M.D., director of Trauma and Injury Prevention at Children’s. “In 2015, 103 children were admitted for bicycle-related injuries, and 61 percent of those were not wearing helmets at the time of the accident, so this shows that we continually need to keep stressing the importance of helmet safety.”

Dates and locations for the 2016 fittings are:

• June 4 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Walk for Children's in Schenley Park
• June 8 5 to 7 p.m. Kohl's West Mifflin
• July 13 5 to 7 p.m. Kohl's West Mifflin
• July 28 6 to 8 p.m. Boyce Park Skate Park
• Aug. 6 12 to 3 p.m. Pittsburgh Regatta
• Aug. 20 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pittsburgh Zoo

Children’s also will provide helmets to 26 community police departments in support of their community programs.  

The Kohl’s Hard Head Patrol program is made possible through Kohl's Cares® cause merchandise program.  Through this initiative, Kohl’s sells $5 books and plush toys, where 100 percent of net profit benefits children’s health programs nationwide, including hospital partnerships like this one.  Since 2001, Kohl’s has donated more than $3 million to Children’s Hospital.

For a complete list of fitting times, dates and locations, as well as more information on the Kohl’s Hard Head Patrol, visit www.chp.edu/helmetsafety or call 412-692-8229.