St. John's Trauma Center in collaboration with the Nixa Lion's Club, Christian County Optimists Club, Nixa school resource officers, Nixa Fire Department, and the Nixa Police Department, has developed an incentive program to encourage young bicycle riders to wear a helmet.

Nixa police officers and Nixa school resource officers who spot a child riding a bicycle and wearing a bicycle helmet will provide the child with a coupon for a free ice cream cone from either McDonald's or Sonic. Children riding without a bicycle helmet will be provided a coupon for a free bike helmet from St. John's Trauma center. Beginning with the 2005-2006 school year, children who are wearing a helmet will also have their name put into a monthly drawing for a $25 gift certificate from Wal-Mart.

The program arose after attempts to pass a Nixa city bicycle helmet ordinance, which would have required children to wear a bicycle helmet while cycling, failed. According to Nixa City Alderman Steve Tallaksen, this program provides a positive approach to wearing the bike helmet, "This program makes a child want to wear a helmet because it is the right thing to do. Children are more likely to wear a helmet if they want to wear it rather than making them wear it because it is a law."

The program will kick off with an announcement on May 14, 2005 at 10 a.m. in conjunction with the grand opening of the St. John's Clinic-Nixa.

As the only level I Trauma Center in the Ozarks, St. John's is committed to injury prevention. According to Pam Holt, Trauma Prevention Education Coordinator, bicycle crashes are the 4th leading cause of pediatric trauma admission to St. John's. "The majority of bicycle crashes and bicycle related injuries occur on streets very close to the child's home. The bicycle related crashes are not usually bicycle versus car related incidents that we hear about in the news. Instead, most crashes happen when the children wreck their bikes on the street in front of their home. Therefore, it is important to encourage children to wear a helmet at all times."

For media information, contact St. John's Media Relations at 417-820-2426.