At the beginning of a school-wide assembly at Swampscott Middle School Friday morning, students were asked to raise their hands if they wear a helmet 100% of the time they ride a bicycle.

The assembly, titled “Love Your Brain,” informed students how to have fun biking while making safety a priority.

At the end of the hour-long assembly, students were asked if they would wear their helmets every time they got on their bikes going forward. There was a noticeable difference in the amount of students who had their hands raised.

The keynote speaker for the event was C. Todd Lombardo, who once was hit by a car while riding his bicycle and suffered a traumatic brain injury after being unconscious for days.

Lombardo detailed just how serious someone can get hurt while riding a bike to the students. He presented information and video about his long road to recovery and rehabilitation process which included long days of physical and speech therapy.

One point was emphasized again and again throughout the assembly: the importance of wearing a helmet.

“I see so many kids riding bikes and e-bikes without a helmet,” said Lombardo. “Don’t go out in shorts and a tank top, wear the right gear.”

Lombardo was accompanied by Caitlin Coit, pediatric trauma program manager at Mass General Brigham for Children as well as Emily Hinckley and Suzanne Hevener, who are both speech-language pathologists.

The group answered a series of questions at the conclusion of the presentation. Students asked about how helmets protect the head, what to do if you witness a crash and about the safety of e-bikes.

Lombardo said e-bikes should never be driven over 15 mph, because at that point it’s closer to a motorcycle.

He left the audience with three tips on how to pedal smart: “Wear a helmet, wear a helmet and wear a helmet.”