On Friday afternoon at the end of Dead Week, White Plaza was full of characters from “The Wizard of Oz” as part of Parking & Transportation Services’ (P&TS) latest effort to promote bike safety.

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Masaru Oka

Students spotted wearing helmets received free bike lights and one safe biker won $1,000 as part of P&TS’s Happy Helmet Day last quarter. Event staff, dressed as characters from “The Wizard of Oz” to promote the theme “Bike the Yellow Brick Road,” also gave out free Jamba Juice.

Happy Helmet Day, which took place on Dec. 7, was co-sponsored by BeWell@Stanford and Student Housing. According to P&TS bicycle program coordinator Carolyn Helmke, the event was designed to “promote bike helmet use.”

During the “Bike the Yellow Brick Road” event, students could pick up bike registrations and tune-ups, along with free Jamba Juice. Throughout the afternoon, students and passers-by seen wearing bike helmets were given free bike lights, further encouraging the quarter-long helmet promotion. Throughout fall quarter, bikers spotted wearing helmets received $10 gift cards.

As Happy Helmet Day came to an end, one lucky winner was selected at random from the group of 93 bikers seen throughout the quarter wearing helmets. The winner, Daniel Virtheim ‘11, was not present at the event, but he later received a $1,000 prize.

In a continuing effort to promote the use of bike helmets, the bike program will continue this quarter in White Plaza each Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., if weather permits. Undergraduates seen wearing bike helmets will receive $10 gift cards and have a chance to win another $1,000 prize at the end of winter quarter.