Media Contacts:
Valerie Foster, Harrison Edwards PR, 914-242-0010
vfoster@harrison-edwardspr.com
Ted Herman, Hudson Health Plan, 914-372-2204
therman@hudsonhealthplan.org

 

KIDS: LEARN BIKE SAFETY AND HAVE FUN AT HUDSON HEALTH PLAN’S FREE BICYCLE SAFETY RODEO


Free Bike Inspections and Safety Demonstration, Air Castle, Prizes, Refreshments … And More!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 19, 2010

(Tarrytown, NY)…With the warmer weather, kids riding bikes soon will be sharing the road with cars. And although riding a bike is all about fun, there are some basic rules of the road that kids must know to protect themselves.

Hudson Health Plan’s annual Bicycle Safety Rodeo on Saturday, June 5, from noon to 3 p.m. in Kingston, is the perfect place to learn the rules of the bike road, or hone skills from last year. As part of this fun-filled afternoon, safety specialists will inspect bikes and instruct youngsters on bike safety. In addition, a dietician from ShopRite’s “Live Right with ShopRite” program will be teaching kids and adults some key ways to make healthy food choices. There will be plenty of fun activities, too, for kids without bikes, including a petting zoo, courtesy of the Forsyth Nature Center, and an air castle. Music will be provided by air personality Scotty Mac of K104.7-FM, which will be broadcasting live reports from the site. Hudson also will provide goody bags and refreshments.

“Keeping active is one way for children to avoid childhood obesity,” says Mark Santiago, Senior Vice President for Marketing & Communications at Hudson. “Our Bicycle Safety Rodeo is way to get kids excited about biking and being physically active outdoors. But there also needs to be a healthy eating component, since summer can be a problem for kids who stay indoors and snack all day.”

This year’s free event takes place at the George Washington Elementary School, 67 Wall St., Kingston, on June 5th, from noon to 3 p.m. At the rodeo, kids who safely navigate an obstacle course with their bicycles will be awarded a Certificate of Achievement. Safety inspectors from the Ulster County Sheriff’s Department and the Mid-Hudson Health and Safety Institute will check bicycle brakes, tires, and other parts, and adjust seats to the proper position for the rider. In addition, the inspectors will teach children and parents how to properly wear helmets, especially important not only for safety, but because children younger than 14 are required to wear helmets while riding bicycles in New York State. (Hint: It should be positioned two fingers above the eyebrows and be fastened tight.)

Hudson hosts a Bicycle Safety Rodeo in the Hudson Valley each June. Prior rodeos have been held in Poughkeepsie, Newburgh, and Middletown. The event is free and open to the public. Hudson provides free and low-cost health insurance in Ulster and five neighboring counties in the Hudson Valley. Hudson representatives will be available to answer individual questions about enrolling in Medicaid Managed Care, Child Health Plus, and Family Health Plus. For more information, call 1-800-339-4557 or visit www.hudsonhealthplan.org.

Hudson Health Plan Bicycle Safety Rodeo
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Noon to 3:00 p.m.
George Washington Elementary School
67 Wall Street
Kingston, NY
For information, call 1-800-339-4557 or visit www.hudsonhealthplan.org

 

About Hudson Health Plan

Founded in the mid-1980s by a coalition of community health centers, Hudson’s mission statement is "to promote and provide access to excellent health services for all people." The Tarrytown-based not-for-profit organization provides comprehensive medical and dental coverage to more than 100,000 members in New York’s Hudson Valley. Hudson has been driving health care innovation by developing technology to support clinical quality initiatives and to streamline the enrollment process for Medicaid Managed Care, Child Health Plus, and Family Health Plus. According to A Consumer’s Guide to Medicaid Managed Care in the Hudson Valley, it has earned the highest ratings in overall satisfaction among Medicaid Managed Care members in the Hudson Valley region every year since 2003.

Hudson Health Plan is the winner of the 2010 Platinum Award for Overall Case Management from the Case Management Society of America’s Case in Point Magazine; the Case Management Society of America 2007 Award for Excellence in Medication Adherence Management; the 2006 Poughkeepsie Journal Diversity in the Workplace Award; the 2005 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Corporate Award for Diversity from the YWCA of White Plains and Central Westchester; the 2005 Advancements in Health Care Award from Hudson Valley Life and Hudson Valley Parent; and the 2003 Community Leadership Award from The New York Health Plan Association. Visit Hudson on the Web at www.hudsonhealthplan.org.

# # #

Download the PDF of this press release  

Return to previous page