HA TINH - QUANG BINH - DONG NAI Province - April 16, 2012

On April 16th, a Helmets for Kids handover ceremony took place in Long Khanh town, Dong Nai Province. Johnson & Johnson, the project’s sponsor, donated 1,966 helmets to students from three primary schools in the district: Long Khanh, Dinh Bo Linh, and Trung Vuong. This was the third ceremony celebrating Johnson & Johnson’s commitment of 140,000 USD to AIP Foundation to implement Helmets for Kids.Through this program, a total of 11,000 helmets are being donated to 17 schools in central Vietnam and 3 schools in Dong Nai.

These Helmets for Kids programs in Vietnam’s Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, and Dong Nai Provinces have resulted in the largest school-based program ever implemented by the Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation. In the context of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety, Johnson & Johnson is a particularly dedicated partner who has also been an active member of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration.

The event in Dong Nai brought together the following governmental representatives: Nguyen Van Diep, Director of Dong Nai Department of Transportation; Pham Thi Hai, Vice Director of Dong Nai’s Department of Education and Training; and Mr. Duong Danh Quy, Chief Secretariat of Dong Nai Traffic Safety Committee. In addition, representatives from Johnson & Johnson travelled to Vietnam for the kick off of the program.

After the event, Gabriel Kardos, Safe Fleet Manager from Johnson & Johnson, spoke with a group of six students. “We loved today’s activity,” said one student. “J&J gave me this helmet as a gift and I learned how to wear it correctly. Starting today, I will talk to my parents and siblings about my lovely helmet and I will always wear it on the road so that I can be an example to others. And every Friday, when my school runs an activity outside the classroom, I will remind my friends to wear their helmets as well.”