Growing the safety instruction team

Expanding education opportunities across the Mat-Su Borough to provide outdoor safety training can be challenging. Especially without necessary resources. Now, thanks to a three-year Target Wellness grant from the Mat-Su Health Foundation, that goal is within reach.

“At Alaska Safe Riders we have been working to grow our instructor pool for the past three years,” explained Executive Director Mike Buck. “This grant is making that effort a reality.” Buck has grown his current instructor pool from two to six with a goal to have 12-fully certified instructors available to answer requests for training by the end of this grant term.

“We have identified a number of really excellent candidates for this program who are currently training and preparing to travel across the Mat-Su Borough to bring backcountry safety training to communities and villages that are often left out due to the high cost,” said Buck. “We want to be able to share this education with everyone, especially those who use ATVs and Snowmachines on a daily basis. In many communities in Alaska, these machines are an integral part of daily life. Unfortunately, they are also contributing to the high rates of unintentional injuries and death rates Alaska is experiencing. This education is designed to help reduce those accidents and improve the safety and health of all residents.”

If your school, organization or community is interested in scheduling a free training workshop, contact Alaska Safe Riders today at 907-831-0493 or email us at info@alaskasaferiders.org

Thanks to support from organizations like the Mat-Su Health Foundation, we are working toward ending preventable injuries and deaths related to the operation of off-road vehicles all across Alaska.

Learn more at AlaskaSafeRiders.org