Foundation gives free helmets to kids
An Indio family is remembering the loss of their son by trying to help save the lives of other children who ride skateboards and bicycles without helmets.
In March, 19-year-old Shaun Clark Jr. was riding his skateboard on Avenue 43, just west of Calhoun Street when he lost control of his board. When he ran out to get it he was hit by an SUV. He was not wearing a helmet the night of the crash.
His parents started the 4Shayj Foundation that gives out free helmets to any child that needs one. Shayj was Shaun Clark Junior’s nickname. On Wednesday, the foundation was giving away helmets at Indio Middle School.
“I’ll see as they are traveling on Miles and the majority aren’t wearing any helmets, they are on bicycles, they are on skateboards, they are on scooters, and they are not wearing helmets so lets find a way to get them safe,” said Officer Jesus Gutierrez with the Indio Police Department.
“One of the biggest messages that I am trying to get out is the parents, the police, and the teachers, we can tell these kids until we are blue in the face to wear helmets. Until they start to police themselves and making their buddies wear a helmet, that’s when we are going to make a difference,” said Shaun Clark Sr.
“You can tell your children to wear a helmet, but once they leave the house and the take that helmet off, we have to make sure the peer pressure with the students is encouraging them to make sure they are wearing a helmet,” said Wendy Jonathon, president of the Desert Sands Unified School District School Board.
The helmets the foundation gives out are bight green, Shaun Clark Junior’s favorite color, and they certainly stand out.
“It’s hard to miss a kid that’s wearing a green Shayj helmet and I get a lot of calls and donations from that because the community is seeing that we are making an impact,” said Clark Sr.
The 4Shayj Foundation wants to get a helmet to any child who needs one for free. If you would like to get one, send them a message on their Facebook page.
DO YOU MAKE YOUR CHILD WEAR A HELMET WHEN THEY ARE ON A SKATEBOARD OR A BICYCLE? DO THEY JUST TAKE IT OFF WHILE THEY RIDE? TELL JOE GALLI ABOUT IT ON FACEBOOK OR ON TWITTER.
