CHICAGO (WLS) -- Skate parks are popular places for skateboarders to hone their skills and learn new tricks. But that learning process often involve trips to emergency rooms. There were 120,000 skateboarders treated in emergency rooms in 2014. Their most common injuries included concussions, knee injuries, and fractures to the hand, wrist, and fingers.
In an effort to make skating safer, eight Chicago-area communities and park districts are teaming up with a new campaign. Skate Safe (http://www.skatesafer.org) features new skateboard park signs, a website, and a social media campaign to promote skate safety consciousness that will get both kids and parents involved. Throughout the summer of 2016, each community will also hold a skateboarder demo event with a safety message to kick off the program and get young boarders involved. Dr. Joel Williams, a Trauma Surgeon at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, joined skaters from Royal Skate Shop to visit the ABC 7 State Street studios and talk about skating safety.
Skate Safe Demonstrations
Date: June 11
Hours: 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Address: Stevenson Park, 83 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL 60302
Date: June 16
Hours: 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Address: Munster Skate Park, 8601 Calumet Avenue, Munster, IN 46321
Date: June 22
Hours: 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Address: Burlington Park, 30 E. Chicago Avenue, Hinsdale, IL 60521
Date: June 23
Hours: 11am - 12pm
Address: Bud Morh Skate Park, 7501 Harrison Street, Forest Park, IL 60130
Date: June 24
Hours: 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Address: Clocktower Commons Skate Park, 100 N. Naperville Road, Wheaton, IL 60187
Date: June 27
Hours: 11am - 12pm
Address: Glen Ellyn Skate Park, 707 Fairview Avenue, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137