Newport Harbor Elks Hold Bicycle Safety Presentation at Ensign Middle School

On Thursday, January 26, volunteers from Newport Harbor Elks Lodge #1767 conducted a bicycle safety presentation at Ensign Middle School in Newport Beach, California. There are approximately 1200 students that are bused in to that school from five districts in the Newport-Costa Mesa area. This school has a large number of bike riders making bicycle safety of critical importance.

Thanks to a Promise Grant that was awarded to Newport Harbor Lodge #1767 by the Elks National Association, they were able to conduct ten interactive bicycle safety presentations and show a short helmet safety video to about 400, 7^th grade students and teachers. Before each presentation, a front and rear bicycle light and a bicycle safety guide titled Sharing the Road were given to students that came to the presentations.

The lodge also teamed up with Carmen Lofgren who lost a son due to a bicycle accident. Carmen donated helmets to students who didn’t have a helmet, weren’t able to buy a helmet or had a helmet that was in poor shape. The presentation team also held the same type of event at Newport Harbor Elks Lodge on Sunday, February 12 for some Newport-Mesa Girl Scout troops and children and grandchildren of lodge members.

To take advantage of having the attention of this many young people, the lodge also provided Elks drug awareness materials at the school and lodge presentations. It was a perfect way to bring attention to the good works of the Elks, and teach bicycle safety and drug awareness.