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Protect Your Brain: Free Bike Helmet Giveaway in Minneapolis

Community Event Coincides with “Brain Health Awareness Day” in City

WHAT: Free Bike Helmet Giveaway hosted by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

WHERE: Mill City Farmers Market 704 S. 2nd Street on Chicago Mall, Minneapolis, between Guthrie Theater and Mill City Museum

WHEN: Saturday, June 17, 2017, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Arrive early as quantities are limited.

PHOTO/VIDEO/INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:

  • AAN staff will fit and give away 1,000 free bike helmets to the public starting at 8:00 a.m.
  • The AAN-hosted piano from Pianos on Parade will be on-site, available for the public to play.
  • Cooking demonstration on healthy brain food at 10:30 a.m. as a part of Mill City Cooks from the Mill City Farmers Market.
  • Visitors can take pictures with their helmets in a social media photo booth.

Newswise — MINNEAPOLIS – For a sixth consecutive year, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) will be giving away 1,000 bike helmets to children and adults on Saturday, June 17, 2017, at the Mill City Farmers Market. The free bike helmet giveaway is designed to raise awareness of and help prevent head injuries in Minnesota. It will take place between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early as quantities are limited.

“As Minnesotans head outdoors to soak up our beautiful summer weather, we want to encourage everyone to protect their brain as they enjoy their favorite recreational activities,” said Catherine M. Rydell, CAE, Executive Director and CEO of the American Academy of Neurology. “The AAN bike helmet giveaway is an important way to support our local community in hopes of preventing head injuries.”

Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges has also proclaimed Saturday, June 17, 2017, Brain Health Awareness Day in the city to raise awareness about brain health.

As part of Saturday’s event, the Mill City Farmers Market will present a cooking demonstration on healthy brain food as part of “Mill City Cooks” with guest Chef Austin Bartold. Kids ages 3-12 will have the chance to try brain-boosting spinach samples and earn a $2 token at the market’s Power of Produce stand.

To further engage with the community, the AAN is hosting a piano through Pianos on Parade, a summer program from the Minneapolis Downtown Council, which aims to connect employees, residents, and visitors of Minneapolis with downtown spaces in creative ways. Music is sometimes used as supplemental therapy along with traditional treatments for neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and dementia. The piano is placed in the sensory garden area in front of the AAN headquarters for the public to play every day from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. until June 30, 2017.

To extend its impact on Minnesotans’ brain health, the AAN has donated an additional 1,100 helmets to the Minneapolis Police Department Bike Cops for Kids, SPOKES/Cycles for Change, St. Paul-Ramsey County Public Health, Extended Learning Summer School/Minneapolis Public Schools, Brain Injury Alliance Minnesota and Hennepin County Health Care for the Homeless.

You can follow the Academy’s efforts Saturday on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@AANBrain) using #ProtectYourBrain and #FreeBikeHelmets.

The largest trade association in Minnesota, the American Academy of Neurology’s headquarters is located at Chicago Avenue and 2nd Street, across from the Mill City Farmers Market.

To learn more about traumatic brain injury, please visit www.aan.com/concussion.

The American Academy of Neurology, the world’s largest association of 32,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit www.aan.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.

Mill City Farmers Market is Minneapolis’ trusted source for healthy, local and organic groceries, bringing a wide assortment of fresh food, cooking education and live entertainment to one beautiful place. Located next to the Guthrie Theater on 2nd Street S. and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis’ Downtown East neighborhood, the market runs every Saturday May-October from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Learn more at www.millcityfarmersmarket.org.