New campaign to reduce skating injuries

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