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School rocks its 1st 'Walk to School Day' event
MNN's Family blogger is in for a surprise at her school's first annual 'Walk to School Day' event.
Wed, Oct 03 2012 at 12:30 PM
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Photo: Jenn Savedge
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post on this blog about a contest that was sponsored by CLIF Kids for kids who wanted to win a 'Walk to School' kit for their schools. I've written before about International Walk to School Day events and thought briefly about trying to organize something at my daughters' school, but I was convinced it would be a waste of time. I don't exactly live in a community where a lot of kids walk to school. Sure, we walk. But we live ridiculously close. Most families don't have that luxury and (I assumed) most weren't interested in an opportunity to walk to school.
But, boy was I ever wrong. My eldest daughter was reading over my shoulder as I finished the CLIF Kids post and asked if she could go ahead and enter the contest. Why not? It wasn't like she was going to win or anything. But guess what? She did win. And to my surprise, her school rallied around her and this cool cause and put her elementary school on the map for it's first annual International Walk to School Day event.
Roughly 100 kids (that's about 20 percent of her school!) signed up to walk on this fair but foggy morning. The PTO at Luray Elementary School organized a fantastic event complete with chaperones, a police escort, and all of the goodies provided by CLIF kids including CLIF Kids bars, stickers, walk to school posters, and a Walk to School banner for all of the kids to sign.
I never in a million years would have imagined that 100 kids from my daughters' school would walk to school this morning for International Walk to School Day. Yet there they were. Proudly walking alongside their parents, friends, and teachers. Grabbing a little exercise and sharing some laughs before the day officially began.
Big thanks to CLIF Kids, Luray Elementary School's PTO, and to my daughter for reminding me that "an early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day" -- Henry David Thoreau.
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It sounds like a great initiative. In New Zealand we have walking buses. Parents take turns to walk groups of kids in their neighbourhood to school. Both the kids and parents wear high visability vests and it is a great sight to see in the morning.