On Wednesday, May 13, 2026, Gluckstein Lawyers hosted a Helmets on Kids program to deliver interactive bicycle safety presentations to Grade 3 and 4 students at Assikinack Public School and Allandale Heights Public School in Barrie. The presentations were part of a broader initiative promoting bicycle safety and brain injury prevention for students across the Simcoe County District School Board.
The initiative was led by Steve Rastin of Gluckstein Lawyers, alongside Jonathan Burton and Rebecca Coughlan, with Special Constable Kristin Drury of the Barrie Police Service Community Safety and Well Being Unit leading the bicycle safety component of the program. Representatives from Simcoe Muskoka Public Health also participated, reinforcing important messages about injury prevention and bicycle safety. Together, the presenters provided students with practical lessons on brain injury prevention, bicycle safety and the importance of wearing a properly fitted helmet every time they ride.
The presentations combined education with interactive demonstrations to help students understand how helmets protect the brain. Students explored how delicate the brain is through a hands-on gelatin brain demonstration and participated in a helmet-protected egg drop activity that illustrated how helmets can reduce the risk of serious head injuries. They also learned the “2 V 1” method for properly fitting a bicycle helmet and reviewed important rules of the road to help keep themselves safe while cycling.
Throughout the presentations, students were engaged and eager to participate. They volunteered for demonstrations, asked thoughtful questions and shared their own cycling experiences. The interactive format encouraged meaningful discussions about injury prevention and helped reinforce the importance of making safe choices every time they ride.
“Helping children develop safe cycling habits at a young age can have a lasting impact,” shared Steve Rastin. “Programs like Helmets on Kids give us the opportunity to educate students about brain injury prevention and the importance of wearing a properly fitted helmet every time they get on a bike.”
Since 2011, Steve Rastin has been actively involved with OTLA’s Helmets on Kids program in Simcoe County, helping educate students about bicycle safety and brain injury prevention through community outreach and interactive presentations.
As part of the initiative, Gluckstein Lawyers purchased 200 bicycle helmets through Seven Star Sports for distribution to students across the Simcoe County District School Board. Seven Star Sports also generously donated bicycle safety lights to help promote safe riding. To reinforce the lessons beyond the classroom, students received bicycle safety bookmarks, while parents received take-home resources with information on proper helmet fit, helmet replacement guidelines and safe cycling practices.
Programs like Helmets on Kids demonstrate the impact that community partnerships can have in promoting injury prevention. By working together with schools, public health, police services and community organizations, Gluckstein Lawyers is proud to support initiatives that help children build lifelong safe cycling habits and better understand the importance of protecting their brains.
Gluckstein Lawyers extends its sincere thanks to OTLA, Seven Star Sports, the Simcoe County District School Board, Simcoe Muskoka Public Health, the Barrie Police Service and the staff and students of Assikinack Public School and Allandale Heights Public School for helping make this initiative a success.
