The small northeast Texas town of Commerce was added to the Texas Medical Association’s Hard Hats for Little Heads map for the first time last year, thanks to Drs. Thomas and Richard Selvaggi and Live Oak Professional Center, who provided helmets for a local bike rodeo.
“We are always looking for ways to give back to our community in a meaningful way, and Hard Hats fit perfectly,” said Richard Selvaggi, MD, a family physician (pictured above).
Commerce, which is north of Dallas, has recently added new sidewalks; bike lanes are close behind.
Sue Nixson, office manager at Live Oak Professional Center, said the event brought the community together, including the police and fire departments, EMS, school, and other medical professionals.
Several parents of helmet recipients said they wouldn’t have been able to afford a helmet for their child without the bike rodeo.
“Knowing that we helped a lot of children get helmets and quite possibly save them from harm was rewarding,” said Thomas Selvaggi, MD, also a family physician.
You, too, can put your community on the Hard Hats map and receive 25 free helmets to give away. But you must act quickly!
You have until Saturday, June 1, to submit an entry for TMA’s 25 for 25 campaign , which is part of this 25th birthday year of the bicycle helmet giveaway program. TMA will award 25 helmets at no cost to 25 TMA Family members who host their first event or host one in a county new to Hard Hats.
Events must occur during Hard Hats for Little Heads Month in October. To be included in the drawing, send an email this week detailing your event plans. Winners will be selected by July 1.
No matching purchase of helmets is required, as is typical for Hard Hats events. Winners in the 25 for 25 campaign are welcome to purchase more helmets at TMA’s low cost of $7.85 each, including shipping. When you purchase up to 50 helmets, TMA boosts your giving power with an equal match of helmets.
Or you can add helmets at no cost through a special perk for family physicians, like Drs. Selvaggi, or pediatricians. The Texas Academy of Family Physicians and Texas Pediatric Society provide the first 25 helmets, which TMA matches for a total of 50 helmets to give away.
Find event ideas and much more in the Hard Hats event toolkit. To request an order packet or to get started on your event, email Tammy Wishard, TMA outreach coordinator, or call her at 512-370-1470.
Hard Hats for Little Heads is supported in 2019 with a TMA Foundation grant thanks to its Legacy of Caring and General Endowments, and generous gifts from an anonymous physician and spouse and donors to TMAF’s Make-A-Difference and Greatest Need appeals.
Tammy Wishard
Account Manager, Division of Communications and Marketing
(512) 370-1470