Avid bicyclist Spanky Bentz of Sabillasville knows the importance of wearing a helmet when riding a bike. As a matter of fact, his helmet saved his life in a bike crash. Spanky is a brain injury survivor and has decided to use his experience to help promote bicycle safety and to support the Brain Injury Association of Maryland.

Spanky has organized a special event for area youth this summer called the Catoctin Challenge for Kids on July 22, 2006 at the Thurmont Community Park. The event is a bike-a-thon to benefit the Brain Injury Association of Maryland. Designed for ages 5 through 13 (or 4 year olds confident on bikes with or without training wheels), the Catoctin Challenge is a way for kids to learn bicycle safety and help others at the same time.

To participate, kids sign up for a $10 fee, raise money from a few sponsors (sponsorship funds not required) and then participate in a bike rodeo and a ride around the loop in the back of community park. Younger riders will make a loop on the basketball court. To celebrate completing their challenge, the kids will enjoy a cookout between 2:00 and 3:00 p.m. For every $15 raised in sponsorship, the child will receive one ticket for the grand prize which is a custom-fit bicycle courtesy of Under the Sun sports in Frederick.

Prizes, games and tons of prizes, are planned for the event. A silent auction of local goods and services, including two brand new bikes courtesy of Costco, will be held to raise funds additional for the Brain Injury Association of Maryland.

Spanky hopes to make this an annual event to raise money for the association but also to increase awareness of bicycle safety and the importance of wearing a helmet. "A brain injury is one of the most debilitating injuries and wearing a helmet is the first step to avoiding a brain injury from a cycling accident," said Spanky.

According to the Brain Injury Association, more kids ages 5 to 14 go to the hospital emergency departments with injuries related to biking than with any other sport. Each year, about 567,000 people go to hospital emergency departments with bicycle-related injuries; about 350,000 of those injured are children under 15. Of those children, about 130,000 sustain brain injuries.

Medical research shows that 85 percent of head injuries to bicyclists could have been prevented by a bicycle helmet. Furthermore, the universal use of helmets could prevent one death every day and one brain injury every four minutes.

And, if you’re thinking that it’s okay to ride without a helmet because you’re just in your neighborhood or in your driveway, statistics show that most bicycle crashes happen with 5 blocks of your home and almost half of all accidents occur in driveways or on sidewalks.

Don’t forget that Maryland state law requires helmets for everyone under the age of 16, including passengers, who ride their bicycles on the road, bicycle paths, or any public property. Helmets are also required for everyone under the age of 16 who are riding on a scooter or on in-line skates.

So, grab your helmet and your bike and visit the Thurmont town park on July 22, 2006 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for a great time on two wheels (or four if you still have training wheels)!