The Missoula County Sheriff's Office partnered with the Brain Injury Alliance of Montana to make sure every student at SLE had access to a free helmet.
It started with the "Eagle Army" teaching the crowd how to do the wave. Then, Seeley Lake Elementary School students had the chance to compete in a bottle flipping contest with deputies from the Missoula County Sheriff's Office.
The contest was followed by a helmet safety presentation during the afternoon assembly at the gym on Nov. 7. The presentation was hosted by the sheriff's office and the Brain Injury Alliance of Montana (BIAMT).
BIAMT, a nonprofit organization dedicated to brain injury awareness and advocacy, does helmet giveaways at baseball fields and schools across the state. The giveaway at Seeley Lake Elementary School was the first time it has been able to provide helmets to an entire school.
"Helmet safety is essential for reducing the risk of brain injuries in children," John Brigart, BIAMT executive director, said. "We're grateful for the opportunity to work with the sheriff's office to make these helmets accessible to every student at Seeley Lake Elementary and to instill safe habits from an early age."
By providing free helmets to students, BIAMT and the Missoula County Sheriff's Office - a partner in the effort to provide the helmets - hope to reduce financial barriers for families and protect children in the community.
"Ensuring that every child in our community has access to a helmet they can wear with confidence is a huge step toward preventing head injuries and promoting safe habits," said Missoula County Sheriff's Office Deputy Mike Sunderland.
Brigart and Sunderland spoke to students about the importance of keeping their brains safe. "When you crash, your helmet takes the impact so your brain doesn't have to," Sunderland said.
After the presentation, students from kindergarten to eighth grade lined up to get helmets individually fitted by Brigart and deputies from the sheriff's office. Each student at the elementary school was given a helmet, funded by an anonymous donor in the Seeley Lake community.
The helmets are high quality and multi-sport, meaning they can be used for various activities like bike riding and skateboarding.
"It's a huge investment to the safety of our students and we appreciate everyone's support in making it happen," said Seeley Lake Elementary School Principal Christina Hartmann.
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