Thousands of school children across Orange County and the rest of Florida walked to school today in observance of International Walk to School Day–October 6th.
Now into its 13th year, Walk to School Day is a part of an international effort in more than 40 countries to celebrate the many benefits of safely walking and bicycling to school and to encourage more families to consider getting out of the car and onto their feet on the way to school throughout October, which is International Walk to School Month.
Among the schools participating in Orlando are:
- Audubon Park Elementary
- Hiawassee Elementary
- Hillcrest Elementary
- Ivey Lane Elementary
- Lake Silver Elementary
- Lee Middle School
- Millennia Elementary
- Nap Ford Community School
- Orange Center Elementary
- Sand Lake Elementary
- Pershing Elementary
- Stone Lakes Elementary
- Three Points Elementary
- Timber Lake Elementary
- Waterford Elementary
“Walking to school is a wonderful way to incorporate physical activity into every weekday,” State Surgeon General Ana M. Viamonte Ros, M.D., M.P.H., said. “There are four times as many overweight children today as there were 25 years ago and children who join a walking school bus will increase their physical activity and improve their health.”
This Walk to School event is part of a Safe Routes to School program. Safe Routes to School programs are ongoing efforts that encourage and enable more children to walk and bicycle to school. For more information, please visit www.saferoutesinfo.org
The reasons for walking have grown just as quickly as the event itself. Whether a community’s concern is safer and improved streets, healthier habits or the environment, Walk to School Day events are aimed at bringing forth permanent change to encourage a more walkable, bikeable America – one community at a time. For more information, visit www.walktoschool.org.
