Press

Media resources and press releases.

For interview requests, photo access, or additional information, contact Jim Washkau directly at press@jimshelmets.org.

Press contact

Jim Washkau, Founder

press@jimshelmets.org

Jim is available for interviews, podcast appearances, and background briefings on Cambodia child road safety.

Key facts for journalists

Founded2026, Philadelphia, PA
FounderJim Washkau — Temple University Fox School of Business, B.B.A. Marketing
MissionCertified child motorcycle helmets + school-based safety education in Cambodia
First goal1,000 helmets distributed through pilot school program
Cost per child$25 covers one certified helmet plus parent education
Helmet use rateUnder 1% child passenger helmet use in Cambodia baseline observations
Program model12-week school-gate pathway with parent covenants, public handover, and follow-up measurement
Websitejimshelmets.org
Donatejimshelmets.org/donate

Press release — July 2026

For immediate release

Jim's Helmets Now Accepting Donations Through Givebutter to Fund the First 1,000 Certified Child Helmets in Cambodia

The new Givebutter campaign gives donors a direct way to help Jim's Helmets provide certified tropical motorcycle helmets and parent education to Cambodian children riding without protection.

Jim's Helmets, a Philadelphia-founded nonprofit working to prevent child motorcycle brain injuries in Cambodia, is now accepting public donations through Givebutter. The campaign is raising funds for the organization's first 1,000 certified child helmets, paired with school-based parent education and follow-up usage tracking.

Supporters can donate now at givebutter.com/fund-the-first-1000-helmets-jims-helmets-cambodia-8c5cm0.

The campaign is designed around a practical promise: every gift helps move a child from an unprotected motorcycle ride to a properly fitted, certified helmet and a family that understands why the helmet must be worn every trip. Jim's Helmets estimates that $25 can cover one certified child helmet, fitting support, and parent education materials.

"This is the moment people can turn concern into helmets. A donation through Givebutter helps put real protection on a child before the next ride to school, the market, or home."

— Jim Washkau, Founder, Jim's Helmets

Cambodia's daily transportation depends heavily on motorcycles, and children often ride as passengers without helmets. Jim's Helmets is focused on closing that gap through certified gear, school partnerships, parent workshops, and habit-building programs that make helmet use normal and repeatable.

Givebutter provides the campaign with a secure donation platform, social sharing tools, and a public fundraising page where supporters can contribute, share the campaign, and help fund the first school-based pilot. Donations will support helmet purchasing, sizing and fitting, school outreach, parent education, and campaign operations tied to the first 1,000-helmet goal.

"We are not just handing out equipment. We are building a repeatable pathway that helps children actually wear the helmet after the photo is taken."

— Jim Washkau, Founder, Jim's Helmets

Jim's Helmets is inviting individuals, families, businesses, school communities, motorcycle safety advocates, and Cambodian diaspora supporters to become founding donors. The campaign page is live now at Givebutter.

About Jim's Helmets

Jim's Helmets is a nonprofit organization founded by Jim Washkau to address the child motorcycle helmet crisis in Cambodia through certified helmet distribution and school-based behavior change programs. The organization's 12-week school-gate model pairs certified tropical child helmets with parent education, teacher reinforcement, and follow-up usage measurement. Jim's Helmets is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Learn more at jimshelmets.org.

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Press release — June 2026

For immediate release

Philadelphia Entrepreneur Launches Nonprofit to Put Certified Helmets on Cambodia's Unprotected Child Motorcycle Passengers

Jim's Helmets pairs certified tropical child helmets with school-based behavior change programs targeting a country where fewer than one percent of child motorcycle passengers ride with protection.

Jim Washkau, a Philadelphia-based marketing professional and Temple University graduate, has launched Jim's Helmets, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing preventable brain injury among children in Cambodia by distributing certified child motorcycle helmets through school-based safety programs.

The initiative grew directly from Washkau's time living in Cambodia, where he experienced the country's motorcycle-dependent transportation culture firsthand. Cambodia's roads carry families of three, four, and five on single motorcycles — often including infants and school-age children — with little to no protective gear. Road traffic injuries are among the leading causes of death and permanent disability for Cambodian children and adolescents, and baseline observations in some regions show child passenger helmet use rates below one percent.

"I watched families making impossible choices every day — not because they didn't care about their children, but because the helmets were too expensive, too hot, too poorly fitted, or simply not available. The barrier isn't awareness. It's access, trust, and habit."

— Jim Washkau, Founder, Jim's Helmets

Jim's Helmets is not a simple gear-donation program. The organization's model pairs each certified child helmet with a 12-week school-gate behavior change campaign: parent workshops that address common safety myths, public handover ceremonies with local school and community leaders, teacher-reinforced road safety curriculum, and structured follow-up observations to verify that protection becomes a daily habit rather than a one-time event.

The organization has launched a founding campaign targeting 1,000 certified child helmets for an initial school-based pilot. At an estimated $25 per child — covering the certified tropical helmet, fitting, and parent education materials — the campaign represents a direct, measurable investment in child survival. Helmets are sourced to meet recognized safety certification standards, with an emphasis on low weight and passive airflow ventilation suited to Cambodia's climate.

Washkau draws a deliberate parallel to the seatbelt adoption story: a safety behavior that once faced resistance and skepticism became normalized through better equipment, repeated education, and consistent social expectation. Jim's Helmets is designed to accelerate that arc for Cambodian children — before the next school ride.

"A helmet doesn't just protect a child's head. It protects the family from the medical debt, land loss, and sibling dropout that follow a catastrophic injury. For $25, a donor can prevent a chain reaction that can last years."

— Jim Washkau, Founder, Jim's Helmets

The founding campaign is open now at jimshelmets.org/donate. The organization is actively seeking founding donors, school and NGO partners in Cambodia, and corporate sponsors interested in child road safety impact.

About Jim's Helmets

Jim's Helmets is a nonprofit organization founded by Jim Washkau to address the child motorcycle helmet crisis in Cambodia through certified helmet distribution and school-based behavior change programs. The organization's 12-week school-gate model pairs certified tropical child helmets with parent education, teacher reinforcement, and follow-up usage measurement. Jim's Helmets is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Learn more at jimshelmets.org.

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For journalists

What we can provide on request.

Jim is available for interviews on short notice. The following materials are available to credentialed media.

Photography

Original field photography from Cambodia, including road scenes, children on motorcycles, helmet distribution markets, and temple locations. High-resolution files available on request.

Founder interview

Jim Washkau is available for print, podcast, radio, and video interviews. Background briefings on Cambodia road safety data are also available without attribution.

Data and sources

The program is built on a documented research base covering Cambodia's road injury rates, economic cost of pediatric trauma, and prior school-based helmet intervention results.