THE FREE HELMET PROGRAM
The Ian Tilmann Foundation, Inc. is seeking public skate
parks (city/county) for partnership with the Foundations FREE Helmet program. In
2007 the City of Safety Harbor and the Ian Tilmann Foundation placed over 450 FREE
Helmets at the Ian Tilmann Skate Park. In 2008 we hope to repeat that success in other Tampa Bay
skate parks. The FREE Helmet program offers flexible participation for public
skate parks. Our goal is to expand the program to six public skate parks by the
end of 2008. The Foundation's FREE Helmet program is simple and direct. If a skater pledges to wear a helmet
when engaged in action sports, the Foundation will give them oneŠ.FREE!
How the Program Works
The public skate park program has three elements. The first is FREE Helmet registration
and distribution at the skate park.
The second element is Skate Event programming and the third is skate
park Loaner Helmets. The first two
elements are fundamental and the third optional.
FREE Helmet Registration and Distribution
The FREE Helmet program is offered at the skate park as part
of ongoing operations.
Essentially, the public skate park functions as the neighborhood FREE
Helmet store. FREE Helmet
registration is offered during normal business hours, at park events and at Skate
Competitions. The Foundation
provides quality sports helmets each to custom order. A head measurement is required to insure proper sizing along
with color selections from each recipient. This custom order approach instills
a sense of ownership and quality fit for each helmet. If the helmet is damaged from use the Foundation will
replace it after recall of the original helmet. Each replacement has the conditions of return documented to
help assess the effectiveness of the program.
The Foundation currently offers sports helmets from S-ONE
and ProTec. These are quality
sports helmet meet one or more national certifications (CPSC / ASTM-1447 /
CE-1078). In Pinellas and Pasco
counties, the Foundation compliments the sports helmet with free bicycle
helmets (CPSC) provided by Suncoast Epilepsy Association (SEA). The SEA helmets are best suited for
bicycles only and are offered on an allotment basis.
Skate Event Programming
The Foundation sponsors skate competitions at participating
parks. The events are run in
cooperation with professional sport producers and local skate shops. The Skate events typically attract
50-100 amateur and sponsored skaters competing for prizes and trophies. FREE
Helmet registration and fund raising is carried out during these all day events. Raffles, T-Shirt Sales and Registration
Fees and private donations from such events contribute 30-50% of the funds
required for the helmet program.
The combination of private donations and event revenues support the
Foundation's goal to make the FREE Helmet program self-sustaining.
The Foundation will participate in other community events to
promote FREE Helmets and raise funds. Events include sports competitions,
family events and street fairs. A community with regular program of family events,
street fairs, is a prime candidate for the FREE Helmet program.
Skate Park Loaner Helmets (Optional)
The Loaner Helmet element allows the skate park staff to loan
helmets to skaters who need them. The Loaner Helmets insure that no skater is
turned away form the park for lack of a helmet. The skater is registered for the Loaner and is expected to
return it after use. Skaters who
borrow a helmet typically do not own one. The park staff can offer a FREE
Helmet for their personal use. The
Foundation will maintain the Loaner Helmet inventory for the skate park and
replace damaged or pilfered helmets as required. This program element is optional and will typically require
review by City Risk Management and legal counsel to mitigate any perceived risk
associated with providing Loaners at the skate park.
Skate Park Commitment
Approval of the City (County) Commission by formal
resolution is required for the FREE Helmet program. The public skate park
responsibilities are entirely "in-kind" services. City funding is not requested for the program. The Foundations does expect
reimbursement for costs of elective promotional products ordered by the skate
park. The public skate park
is expected to perform the following:
1)
Designate
a local Helmet Coordinator from the skate park staff to serve as the
Foundation's contact and liaison. The Coordinator will manage all aspects of
the Foundations helmet program at the skate park including helmet
registrations, order processing and delivery of helmet to skaters. The Foundation
will host periodic conferences for Helmet Coordinators from around the region
to meet and plan event schedules, share promotion ideas, and make
recommendations (and brainstorm) new innovations for the Foundations helmet
program.
2)
Allow
at least two (2) skate competitions a year sponsored by the Foundation. These events attract 50-70+ registered
skaters competing for prizes and trophies.
3)
Abide
by the Foundation's Operating Procedures for the Loaner and FREE Helmet program
and to actively promote skate helmet safety.
4)
Assist
the Foundation's activities that raise funds for the helmet program. Examples of fund raising activities
include Foundation T-Shirts sales; Raffle events and registration fees from
skate competitions.
5)
Designate
a representative to serve on the Foundations Advisory Board. This Board will serve a community based
advisors to the Foundation Board of Directors regarding the FREE Helmet
program. The Advisory Board will
be made up of one representative from each City (County) skate park partner.
6)
The public
skate park staff is expected to guide and cooperate with the Foundation in community
based fundraising for FREE Helmets. Experience has shown, skater parents come
forward as the best boosters, volunteers and supporters of the FREE Helmet
program. As the FREE helmet program grows in the neighborhood and skater parents
hear the story of The Ian Tilmann Foundation, they step forward, volunteer and help. Moms are particularly responsive to the
call for FREE Helmets. As each
skater "opts-in" for a FREE Helmet they join a growing skater community that
embraces helmet safety. The Foundation communicates with this growing skater
community to promote events and call for volunteers and contributions. The Foundations best supporters and
boosters are the skaters and their families.
Foundation Commitment
Subject to available funding, The Ian Tilmann Foundation
will provide the following to participating skate park affiliates.
1)
ITF
will sponsor skate competitions at the skate park. The Foundation will raise funds at such events with raffles
prizes, T-Shirt sales, cash donations and a competition registration fee. ITF will operate helmet safety
presentations and register FREE Helmets at all Foundation sponsored events.
2)
With
advance approval, ITF may provide raffle prizes, T-Shirt sales and FREE Helmets
at skating events sponsored by others at the skate park. The Foundation
requires 8 week advance notice for such events. Participation will be subject to available funding for the
helmets.
3)
ITF will
provide T-Shirts and raffles prizes when participating in skate events. Raffle prizes are subject to
availability. Foundation raffles typically include Skater Stuff (Skate Decks,
Trucks/Wheel Sets/Skate Shop and Clothing Gift Cards) and Family Stuff (Gift
Baskets, Entry Passes to Popular Venues, and Gift Cards for restaurants, golf,
day spas, and many others).
4)
ITF
will manage the ordering of all helmets and pay their cost. ITF will monitor
and assist the Coordinator's management of the "fulfillment" chain from order
to delivery to the skate park.
5)
If the
City elects the Loaner program, ITF will maintain a sufficient inventory of
Loaner Helmets (12) at the skate park. Loaner Helmets will be replaced when
lost to damage, pilfering, or any cause.
6)
Subject
to availability of funds, ITF will provide FREE Helmets registered at the skate
park during special events, skate camps and regular daily operation.
7)
ITF
will seek new sponsors for the FREE Helmet program both locally and nationally
and coordinate such efforts with for the benefit of our network of affiliated
skate park partners.
8)
ITF
will organize regular meeting of Helmet Coordinators and the Community Advisory
Board.
Program Expectations
In the first year of program operation the Foundation hopes
to accomplish the following goals with each public skate park partner:
- Demonstrate
that the success achieved at The Ian Tilmann Skate Park in Safety Harbor
can be repeated in other public skate parks in Tampa Bay.
- Register
300-500 FREE Helmets at each skate park;
- Raise
at least 50% of Helmet program costs from skate event fees, raffles,
T-Shirt sales and private donations generated at the skate park;
- Develop
a skate culture at the park that embraces helmet safety;
- Boost
skate park attendance as a direct result of offering FREE Helmets;
Establish a
network of public skate parks, Helmet Coordinators and a Community Advisory
Board working together to promote helmet safety and raise funds to "Pay It
Forward" as we expand the FREE Helmet program to other public skate parks
statewide.
