At Planet Ford, our team always strives to find ways help our community, especially our local schools and the kids. Recently, we had the opportunity to help keep 100 little Spring Jr. Lions who were in need. The Reed family and Planet Ford stores donated 100 brand new football helmets.
Randall Reed, Owner, Chuck Kramer, Planet Ford in Humble GM/OP, and Shawn Burns, Planet Ford in Spring GM/OP, heard local pee wee football players were using old and potentially unsafe helmets. The Reed family and dealerships called a timeout.
“We all have children, and we all know how important it is to take the proper precautions, such as the right equipment when playing sports,” said Mr. Burns. “So, we went out and immediately purchased 100 helmets for the upcoming Spring Jr. Lions football season,” said Mr. Kramer.
“We are happy to see kids getting outdoors, getting healthy exercise and having fun,” said Mr. Reed. “We were honored to be able to chip in to ensure the kids are safe out there on the field. Even small players can be at a big risk.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year U.S. emergency departments treat approximately 135,000 children ages 5 to 18 for sports-related brain injuries.
Many of those injuries are concussions, and the children recover. However, the prognosis for children who suffer repeat concussions, even mild ones, is considered part of the great unknown. Experts say, repeat concussions could put a child at risk for crippling conditions including: dementia, Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders that require neurosurgery. That’s not something most people are pondering on the sidelines of a peewee football game.
Overall, over 1.7 million people a year injure their brains in an accident, a fall or on the playing field. About 75 percent of these brain injuries are concussions or other milder injuries. But some are deadly. About 52,000 people a year die from brain injuries and 275,000 are hospitalized.
To learn more about sport’s safety for your children, you can visit sites such as WebMD. To learn more about Planet Ford in Spring on I-45 (serving The Woodlands, Aldine, Cypress, Houston areas) and Planet Ford in Humble on Hwy. 59 (serving Kingwood, Atascocita, Katy and Houston areas), visit www.PlanetFord.com.