RALEIGH – Tomorrow, hundreds of people in communities statewide will put on their tennis shoes for the walking event of the year – National Walk to School Day.
The annual celebration encourages more families to consider getting to school on foot or bike and brings attention to circumstances that may be getting in the way.
“Walk to School Day is a wonderful opportunity for students, families and neighbors to get outside and experience the benefits of walking in their communities,” said N.C. Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary for Multimodal Transportation Julie White. “It also provides the chance to reiterate important reminders about how to stay safe when walking.”
This year, NCDOT’s Safe Routes to School program’s feature event will be at A.B. Combs Magnet Elementary School in Raleigh. State and local officials will join students and families for the trip to school which starts at Western Boulevard Presbyterian Church at 7:45 a.m.
In addition to being healthier, walking to school also may benefit students’ academic well-being more than riding to school in a vehicle. Students who get more physical activity have better academic success than those who do not, according to the Centers for Disease Control and research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The study found that in North Carolina, students who take part in National Walk to School Day are six-to-eight times more likely to walk to school regularly, helping children get the physical activity they need.
The growing popularity of Walk to School Day in North Carolina is due in large part to Active Routes to School, a partnership project between the NCDOT and the North Carolina Division of Public Health. Ten Regional Active Routes to School coordinators are working to make it easier for elementary and middle school students in North Carolina to safely walk and bike to school. In 2006, just 31 schools participated statewide, a tremendous increase to the more than 250 communities who will participate this year.
(Reporters/editors: To learn more about schools in your area participating in National Walk to School Day, visit walkbiketoschool.org).