NCN, UnitedHealthcare donate bicycle helmets to Watson Elementary in Hastings
HASTINGS, NE — Elementary school students in northwest Hastings are heading into summer safely.
News Channel Nebraska and UnitedHealthcare partnered for their Small Towns Matter helmet giveaway event at Watson Elementary on Wednesday. The companies distributed a free bicycle helmet to every student in the school.
“I just thought it was awesome. Obviously, the kids are very excited about it," Hastings Public Schools Superintendent Jeff Schneider said. "The great thing is, now we have about 350 more kids in town that are going to be riding around in a safer fashion this summer.”
Schneider says the giveaway suits the district well because safety is its top priority.
“Because without safety, all the rest of it can’t happen," Schneider said. "If the kids don’t feel well, if they’re not safe, they’re not able to learn.”
Watson was nominated by teacher Becky Shoemaker and community member Bob Herbek. It was randomly selected out of a pool of hundreds of nominations from across the state.
UnitedHealthcare Executive Director Matt Milam says the giveaway fits his company’s mission.
“We are as passionate about health and safety as anybody," Milam said. "It makes us proud that we can participate, and we do want the children to be safe and active.”
The two companies presented a no-strings-attached check worth $2500 to the school. The best part for Schneider is the promise of the kids having fun.
“That’s the name of it. They’re little kids, that’s what we want," Schneider said. "We want them to smile when they’re here at school… and we want them to smile when they leave. So them going to have a fun summer and having bike helmets to do it, is exactly what we want.”
This is the fourth year of the Small Towns Matter program. NCN and United Healthcare have now given away more than 1,000 helmets to Nebraska children.