LIHU‘E — The Wilcox Medical Center’s annual Keiki Bike &Skateboard Safety Day drew hundreds of excited children and their ohana this past weekend along with a special proclamation from Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami.
On Saturday, July 20, Wilcox Medical Center employees along with volunteers and community supporters hosted the free event that provided kids with proper safety gear and important traffic tips for bike riding and skateboarding.
Around 200 children lined up at the Wilcox booth to get their heads measured for their free helmets, which they got to personalized with stickers and markers. Thirty of the children were lucky enough to go home with brand new bikes, which were donated by Wilcox employees and community members.
Kaua‘i Path was also present and educated the children with enhanced bike skills that showed children how to properly navigate turns, as well as how to hand signal. Also, on the scene was Aloha Care’s safety inspection station to educate and assist with bike tune-ups and inspections.
Jen Chahanovich, president and CEO of Wilcox Medical Center and CEO of Kaua‘i Medical Clinic, was present at the event.
“We’re thankful to all of our Wilcox physicians, staff and volunteers, our dedicated team of community partners and everyone who attended to help keep our keiki safe,” Chahanovich said. “Bike &Skateboard Safety Day is one of our favorite events because it’s a day when the community comes together for our children.”
Play Streets Kaua‘i also provided the children and their parental units with skateboarding lessons and tips with assistance from Kaua‘i Skate Ohana.
Active skateboarder Kawakami then presented a special proclamation were he announced that the County of Kaua‘i has formally adopted the Vision Zero Initiative, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities on the Garden Island by the year 2040.
The Vision Zero initiative acknowledges that any injury or even a death is unacceptable, as of July 8 there have been a total of five traffic fatalities on Kaua‘i.
A Vision Zero advisory group will soon come to fruition that will not only seek additional federal funding for future infrastructure improvement so that pedestrians and future roads maintain safe, but also advise the mayor’s office along with the Kaua‘i County Council on safe transportation laws and policies.
“Whether they’re pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists or driving a passenger vehicle, we just want to educate people and kids so that they are aware, pay attention, drive with aloha and just care for one another,” Kawakami said.
