The Injury Free Coalition for Kids of Columbus has been a Neighborhood Pride partner since 2004. Neighborhood Pride, an initiative of Columbus City Mayor Michael B. Coleman, brings together city departments, neighborhood groups, community partners, area residents, and local businesses to make Columbus communities safer and cleaner. Six communities are chosen to participate in Neighborhood Pride each year. Neighborhoods must apply for the opportunity to be a Neighborhood Pride community, and they must be able to demonstrate a need for the services as well as community support for the program. Neighborhoods that are chosen to participate receive one week of intense delivery of services to public areas as well as individual homes.
In each Neighborhood Pride area, one school is chosen to host a Bicycle Safety Festival on its grounds. Prior to each festival, students at the school are given in-class education on various injury topics including bike, pedestrian, playground, and motor vehicle safety. Each student who participates in the Bicycle Safety Festival is fitted with a complimentary bike helmet courtesy of Injury Free of Columbus and the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation. Our coalition has distributed more than 7600 helmets through the Neighborhood Pride Bicycle Safety Festival.
