Press Release

DOH-Monroe and Partners Fit 305 Students with Bicycle Helmets At Safety Education Event

April 21, 2026 3 min read

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For media inquiries: Jennifer Lefelar • jennifer.lefelar@flhealth.gov • 305-434-5413

Monroe County, Fla. – On March 12, 2026, the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County (DOH-Monroe), in partnership with multiple community organizations, successfully fitted 305 students at Stanley Switlik Elementary School in Marathon with free, properly fitted bicycle helmets during a large-scale bicycle and pedestrian safety education event.

This effort brought together DOH-Monroe, the Monroe County School District (MCSD), Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s WalkSafe®/BikeSafe® program, Key Colony Beach Police Department, Florida Keys Outreach Coalition for the Homeless, Inc., and more. The free helmets were provided through the Florida Pedestrian and Bicycling Safety Resource Center (PedBike SRC), funded by the Florida Department of Transportation.

“This was the first time we were able to coordinate a mass event like this in a single day,” said Ivona Coleman, community health improvement manager for DOH-Monroe. “We are in the process of scheduling more MCSD schools for bicycle and pedestrian safety education events in the future. Our vision is to provide this education and free resources to every student in our county.”

“This is the first time we have had a large-scale event like this at Stanley Switlik Elementary, and we are very pleased with the education provided and the free, properly fitted bicycle helmets for so many of our students,” said Deputy William Daniels, School Resource Officer. “I personally saw a few kids wearing bright, shiny, new bicycle helmets at the Marathon Seafood Festival this year.”

Stanley Switlik Event Picture 1
Community partners representing the following organizations:  DOH-Monroe, the Monroe County School District (MCSD), Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s WalkSafe®/BikeSafe® program, Key Colony Beach Police Department, Florida Keys Outreach Coalition for the Homeless, Inc.
Stanley Switlik Event Picture 2
Elizabeth Cabrera from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s WalkSafe®/BikeSafe® program gives an educational presentation to the students.
Stanley Switlik Event Picture 3
School Resource Officer Deputy William Daniels gives a safety demonstration by dropping a watermelon inside a bicycle helmet.
Stanley Switlik Event Picture 4
DOH-Monroe’s Ivona Coleman fits Evelyn Alfonso for her new bicycle helmet.
Stanley Switlik Event Picture 5
Frances Merryman, Poppy Harrington, Liliana Wallace, Kimberly Bravo, and Aleksandra Shahsavan pose with their new fitted bicycle helmets.

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About the Florida Department of Health

The Department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts. Follow us on X at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health, visit FloridaHealth.gov