In celebration of National Bike & Roll School Day, Safe Kids Stanislaus hosted an assembly on bicycle safety in front of students at Hurd Barrington Elementary School last Wednesday.
Each year on the observance holiday, one county school is chosen by the local coalition to host an event on annual observance day where 100 helmets are given away. Hurd Barrington was chosen in a raffle and notified about the decision two months ago, said Gabriela Morales, the school’s secretary.
“I’m glad that our students got to see a part of the safety aspect that they can get, especially those hand signals they got to learn,” Morales said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for them.”
The Stanislaus chapter is a part of Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit organization founded in 1988 that focuses on reducing traffic-related injuries for children ages 0 to 19 and building a feasible system to protect families. The organization has more than 400 coalitions in the United States and partnerships in more than 20 countries worldwide. Since its inception, Safe Kids and its partners have assisted in more than a 60% reduction in the rate of deadly childhood preventable injuries in the U.S., according to the organization’s website.
25 minutes before the start of school day on Wednesday, personnel from Newman Fire Department, Hurd Barrington and Stanislaus County Health Services Agency were assigned to gather parents and students at three locations, Charles F. Klehn Memorial Park, Hurd Barrington Park and the intersection between Balsam Drive and Banff Drive.
After everyone was gathered at a designated site, a walk to the campus was initiated. While some parents walked with their child, others opted to ride their bike or scooter to campus. During the walk, a couple of parents held signs, some of which read, “I am predictable when riding.”
After arriving on campus, students were greeted and offered high-fives by the school’s mascot, Berry the Eagle. A crosswalk guard was available to instruct parents who drove an automobile to stop for students and staff walking from the staff parking lot.
Following the first period, the first of two assemblies started at 8:15 a.m. for transitional kindergarten to second grade students. The next rally was held 45 minutes later for third to fifth graders.
Speaking to the students was Rena Bryant, a coordinator for Safe Kids Stanislaus. Bryant advised students to take precautions when riding a bike, including wearing a helmet, looking both sides of the road and to not have listening devices on their ears to hear nearby vehicles.
Additionally, she showcased prompts such as stop light and stop sign on and taught students on how to put on a helmet.
A few classrooms were awarded with a helmet towards the end of each rally. Personnel assisted students with putting on their helmets.
For Bryant, this matter goes beyond just being informative; she’s a registered nurse at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto and mother of four. She wants parents to understand that they’re a mentor to children and their actions are a reflection on who they are.
“You’re wearing a helmet, your kids are more likely to do that, and so that's a really important message that I really want to pass on to caregivers out there,” Bryant said. “I’ve seen a ton of injuries as an [emergency room] nurse, and I want to prevent that.”
According to data from UC Berkeley’s Transportation Injury Mapping System, 480 bike accidents have occurred in Stanislaus County from January 2023 to December 2025.
“We don’t want to see people getting injured, and so that’s why we come out here to prevent that from happening,” Bryant said.
