SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., ― Regional West will once again provide free bike helmets to children who attend the 2019 Regional West Kids Safety Safari, thanks to a $5,000 grant from Union Pacific. 

The Safety Safari is an annual event hosted by Regional West Health Services and a variety of community partners aimed at decreasing unintentional injuries. The event encourages safe behaviors and accident prevention through education, activities, and demonstrations about topics including bike safety, boating safety, large and small animal safety, lawnmower safety, safe sleeping, choking safety, and more. 

The fourth annual Safety Safari, held in June at Riverside Discovery Center in Scottsbluff, attracted over 1,600 participants.

The Union Pacific grant will be used for the purchase of bike helmets, which will be properly fitted and given free of charge to children who attend the 2019 event. The helmet give-away project very closely aligns with Union Pacific’s community funding priority of safety. 

“Most deaths from bicycle accidents are due to head trauma. Bike helmets can help prevent head injuries, so our goal is to provide a bike helmet to every child in Scotts Bluff County. This grant from Union Pacific will help us get one step closer to this life saving goal,” said Regional West Injury Prevention Coordinator Teresa Thomas, RN, BSN.

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a 188-bed regional referral center and one of three Level II Trauma Centers in the state. As the region’s only tertiary referral medical center, Regional West offers care that spans more than 32 medical specialties provided by over 28 physician clinics. With nearly 300 providers, and over 2,000 employees, Regional West provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.