NeighborHealth promotes safe summer riding through annual Children’s Bike Safety Day

NeighborHealth hosted its annual Children’s Bike Safety Day at the East Boston Farmers Market earlier this week, bringing together local families for an afternoon focused on bike safety, healthy outdoor activity and community connection. With support from Boston Children’s Hospital, the event provided free bike helmets, professional helmet fittings and bike safety education to help children ride safely throughout the summer and beyond.

Designed to promote safe cycling habits and active lifestyles, the event gave families the opportunity to learn about proper helmet use and other important safety practices, all during a special celebration of National Farmers Market Week, offering special activities that highlight the important role local farmer’s play in expanding access to fresh food. Both the bike safety event and Farmer’s Market Week celebration reflect NeighborHealth’s commitment to supporting the health and well-being of children both inside and outside the clinical setting.

The highlight of the event was a bike raffle that awarded six children brand-new bicycles, donated by Boston Children’s Hospital, Excel Academy and First Priority Credit Union. Families were also invited to visit the bike safety tent, where staff from Boston Children’s Hospital provided helmet fittings and shared information about safe riding practices.

“This is truly one of my favorite events of the year,” said Julio Mazul, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. “There’s nothing quite like seeing a child’s face light up when they hear their name called and realize they’ve just won a new bike. We want every child to experience the fun and freedom that comes with riding a bike, and we’re proud to partner with Boston Children’s Hospital to help ensure families have the equipment and knowledge they need to ride safely all summer long.”

Through its injury prevention efforts, Boston Children’s Hospital provides families with practical safety resources that help reduce the risk of preventable injuries.

“Parents have a lot on their plates, so when we can bring these resources directly into the community, we make it that much easier for families to access them,” said Barbara DiGirolamo, M.Ed., CPSTI, Injury Prevention Program Coordinator at Boston Children’s Hospital. “Whether it’s helping a child find the right helmet fit or answering a parent’s questions about safe riding, these conversations can have a lasting impact.”

Children’s Bike Safety Day was held as part of NeighborHealth’s East Boston Farmers Market, which brings together fresh food vendors, community organizations, health resources and family-focused programming throughout the season. The annual event highlights the power of community partnerships in creating opportunities for children and families to stay healthy, active and connected.

NeighborHealth’s East Boston Farmers Market is held Wednesdays from 3:00 to 6:30 pm, July 8th through October 28th (October hours 3:00–6:00 pm) at Central Square Park in East Boston. This vibrant market, led by Market Manager Kelsey Briggs, attracts hundreds of families weekly and hosts a diverse array of produce and prepared food vendors alongside numerous community essential services and children’s programing.

The market accommodates cash, debit, credit cards, and app payments, and also accepts WIC coupons, Senior coupons, SNAP/food stamps/EBT, P-EBT, and City of Boston Farmers Market coupons, which are available to eligible Boston residents in need of food assistance at the Community Resource Center at 282 Meridian St, East Boston.

For more info about NeighborHealth’s East Boston Farmers Market visit: www.neighborhealth.com.