‘October 7, Walk to School Day’ is a Healthy Step for Colorado Kids and promotes

Statewide (October 6, 2009) - October is Colorado Pedestrian Month and to celebrate, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program is welcoming all schools statewide to participate in Walk to School Day on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009. As of today, 196 events have been planned in schools around the state as a way to promote and inform children and parents about the benefits of safely walking and biking to school. To learn if a school in your community is participating, go to www.walktoschool.org.

“According to the National Center for Safe Routes to School, as much as 26 percent of morning traffic can be school-related,” comments Pam Hutton, CDOT’s chief engineer and Governor’s representative for highway safety. “Instead, of driving your children to school, walking or biking can reduce congestion and create a cleaner environment. Most importantly, it improves your children’s health and can also be fun.”

The Safe Routes to School program is a comprehensive approach that provides federal-funding to local governments and communities, law enforcement, health providers and educators whose programs are focused on K-8 grades that improves or makes school routes safer for children when walking and bicycling. Successful programs involve a whole community and encompass the “5 E’s”: evaluation, encouragement, education, enforcement and engineering. Applications are currently being taken and are available at CDOT’s Web site, http://www.dot.state.co.us (click on the SRTS logo).

Walk to School Day and Walk to School Month allow schools an opportunity to increase the number of children walking and biking to school. In addition, organizers can assess the routes and complete a walk-ability and bike-ability checklist that provides information for future endeavors and is useful in creating a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program in their community.

In 2008, more than 6,500 schools nationally are estimated to have participate in the International Walk to School Day. Approximately 4 million people from 42 countries participated. Schools can register for Walk to School Day at www.walktoschool.org. Resources are available on the website. Schools completing the event report their success afterwards to provide crucial information for evaluating activities nationwide through the University of North Carolina’s Highway Research Center.

CDOT encourages schools to promote “green” school trips by wearing green on Walk to School Day, Oct. 7, 2009.

Listed below are a few of the planned activities in Colorado to find out more go to http://www.walktoschool.org/who/activities.cfm?st=CO.

Our event partners with Drive Smart, Safe Kids, the City of Colorado Springs and Wendy's. Wendy's gave away stickers, pencils, erasers and Frosty Coupons.

- SCOTT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, COLORADO SPRINGS

We plan to serve hot coco and Gatorade to students and parents who participate, play "walk" songs, and give out certificates and stickers.

- FITZMORRIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, ARVADA

Ignacio Elementary is starting the event off with a bicycle safety training!

- IGNACIO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, IGNACIO

We are working with Tozer Elementary School to help encourage kids to walk to school as part of a healthy life-style.

- MOUNTAIN VIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WINDSOR

We are just starting a wellness program at our school and thought this would be a good start. We are encouraging teachers that live too far away to join together at the track and walk a few laps and then meet the students in the cafeteria for a healthy breakfast. We are working with the school cafeteria and donations from local grocery stores (Fresh fruit, yogurt and maybe granola bars) along with the breakfast provided at school.

- BILL RED MIDDLE SCHOOL, LOVELAND

We are working to encourage families with young children to incorporate walking and biking into their routine.

- MONTVIEW COMMUNITY PRESCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN, DENVER

The recent addition of bike lanes to Summit View Parkway and Douglas County's Safe Routes to School walking/biking route plans are the catalyst for our new health and wellness focus. Please join us on October 7th for our school wide walk/bike to school kick-off event. Also, help us as we add a Peaceful Playground motif to our blacktops October 9th and 10th. Then help us by volunteering at our Fall Fun Run on October 16th. In addition to these events that promote wellness, we are adding the Great Body Shop health curriculum and a health teacher to our staff. All these activities are promoting the physical and emotional well being of our students so that we can achieve higher levels of learning for all students. Look for future events and opportunities to participate in our whole child focus at Heritage.

- HERITAGE ELEMENTARY, HIGHLANDS RANCH