Skateboarder’s death inspires increased safety for kids
Students at Shadow Hills High School that needed a helmet for skateboarding or riding a bike got one for free on Thursday.
The 4Shayj Foundation was giving presentations on the importance of wearing helmets and signing kids up to get a free helmet if they needed one.
Shaun Clark Sr. lead the presentations. In April his son, Shaun Clark Junior, died after getting hit with a car while skateboarding. Shaun Clark Jr., who went by Shayj, was a senior at Shadow Hills High School when he died.
The family started the 4Shayj Foundation to get helmets to kids who need them.
“Knowing Shaun Clark Jr. personally and seeing this presentation by his father, it’s a real statement that it’s important for our students to wear helmets to keep our brains safe,” said Joel Dingle a student at SHHS.
“To have his parents come in here and tell his story, and his life was ruined by a stupid thing like not wearing a helmet, it’s going to make me think twice now,” said sophomore Liam Hamilton.
Now the trick is to not only get the helmets in the kids’ hands, but make sure they wear one every time they need to.
“You have to make yourself accountable, it’s cool to wear a helmet, there’s an old phobia I guess, that it was uncool to wear a helmet, I see it every time I speak to kids, but there is nothing uncool about protecting yourself and keeping yourself safe,” said Shaun Clark Sr.
The helmets run about $25 a piece and the foundation is always looking for donations. If you would like to make a donation or receive a free helmet check out their Facebook page.
