Matt Dunigan is a Voice of Injury Prevention (VIP) for Concussion with ThinkFirst Canada:

Brain Injury Prevention in Team Sports in Canada

TORONTO, April 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – ThinkFirst Pensez d’Abord Canada hosts a
free lecture and workshop with keynote speaker Matt Dunigan.
“ThinkFirst Canada is honored to have Matt Dunigan speaking up for
child and youth health in team sport. Canada can and must do a better
job at protecting our greatest resource, our children, by reducing the
burden of head and brain injuries like concussion” said Rebecca
Nesdale-Tucker, Executive Director and CEO, ThinkFirst-Pensez d’Abord
Canada.

Matt Dunigan is a sports concussion survivor and is emerging as an
active injury prevention advocate, encouraging the need for concussion
awareness. “The more we can educate ourselves in all aspects relating
to concussions, including recognition, awareness, prevention and the
proper protocols for back to play the better all sport will be.
Parents, coaches, officials and society in general must take action in
becoming more involved in dealing with concussions in sport” said
Dunigan “Coaches and parents must be educated so they can appropriately
intervene and protect the kids from themselves. The kids’ innately are
under tremendous pressures to produce and win in today’s sporting world
and often times can and will be their own worst enemy, their health and
safety must come first.”

Trauma and head injuries are at epidemic levels. In Canada, injury is
the leading cause of death and a major cause of hospitalization for
children and youth. That’s why ThinkFirst Canada exists and why the
charity’s VIPs are important. Injury kills an average of 290 Canadian
children age 14 and under each year. It’s estimated that 21,000
children are hospitalized for injury each year, or approximately one in
every 300 children.

Sport is a valuable public asset in our communities. It can produce many
benefits for those who participate and the communities that support
them. ThinkFirst, together with champions like Dunigan, aims to reduce
the rate and severity of concussions and head injuries in child and
youth team sports by reducing the incidence of head injury events and
improving return to play decision making. The impact of severe injury
on children is often life-long. Head injuries can account for
substantial changes in learning ability, including delayed cognitive
development in children and behavioural challenges. This can inhibit
their ability to play and limit future opportunities.

“Despite their ability to positively influence the health and well-being
of Canadians, sports activities contribute to a significant number of
injuries among children and youth, yet many of those injuries are
predictable and preventable” said Rebecca Nesdale-Tucker. “For
important safety information, visit thinkfirst.ca before you play and
before you return to play too,”

Information from this Tator-ThinkFirst Canada lecture and associated
workshop by presenters Dr. Shelina Babul and Dr. Alison Macpherson on Who is at Risk? ..What can we do to prevent and reduce injuries? and from Dr. Paul Dennis on Peer Influence and Respect will also be made available online at www.thinkfirst.ca.

ABOUT US

ThinkFirst Pensez d’Abord Canada is a national non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of
brain and spinal cord injuries. ThinkFirst has been advocating for
heightening public awareness through education since its inception in
1992. ThinkFirst has Chapters in every province across the country that
spread the ThinkFirst injury prevention message. ThinkFirst teaches
school-aged children and youth, sports teams, and community volunteers,
to safely participate in the activities they enjoy.

ThinkFirst’s message is promoted through advocacy for healthy policies,
as well as participation in a number of coalitions that raise injury
prevention awareness in communities across the country. ThinkFirst is
committed to providing up-to-date research on the causes of injury and
the effectiveness of injury prevention programs to ensure the
information provided is both timely and relevant. Building on its
extensive community- and medical- based networks; ThinkFirst will
contribute to creating awareness as well as developing community
capacity building resources that will educate children, youth, parents
and medical practitioners about brain injury and concussion prevention
and treatment.

ThinkFirst Canada Chapters can be found in cities representing every
Canadian province:

        --  Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Hamilton,
            Kingston, London, Waterloo, Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Moncton,
            Fredericton, St John's, and Charlottetown.

SOURCE ThinkFirst Foundation of Canada