Walk ‘N’ Roll To School

October 6, glowing rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes will greet 1st period teachers across Sonoma County. Get ready to celebrate International Walk & Roll to School Day. Over 5,000 schools in all 50 states and almost 40 countries around the world will join us in walking, biking, skating, scooting and rolling to school.

Alarmed by the rise in childhood obesity and related health risks, Sonoma County Safe Routes to School has developed a program to shift our children from cars to feet. Their goal: to make conditions safer and more convenient to get kids walking and bicycling to school. Their message: “A lifetime of being active can begin on the way to school…Every Step Counts”.

Nationally, 40 years ago, almost 50% of students walked or rode bicycles to school. Today it is less than 15%. This one day program, International Walk & Roll to School Day, is sponsored by Safe Routes as an opportunity to change that.

October 6 students, parents and community members can challenge themselves to reduce the Sonoma County morning traffic (20%-25% is school related!) And feel better and healthier in the process. Take this chance to help Sonoma County become the hub of alternative school transportation. Give your car a break and join a bike train, walking school bus or just relax and enjoy the time with your child. It might just open up a whole new set of possibilities.

Part of the thrill of International Walk & Roll to School Day is sharing it with a variety of people. Walking or bicycling to school is a wonderful opportunity for social interaction not only for the children but parents also. A recent survey found that 9 out of 10 parents who walk their kids to school see it as an ideal way to meet new people.

On Walk & Roll to School Day you will be joined by numerous community leaders, school board members and city council members. In the past local and state representatives such as Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey and California Assembly woman Noreen Evans have attended.

If bicycling, you may want to hook up with a bike train. A bike train consists of riders who meet in a designated area. On their way they pass through staging areas where other students can gather and join together. On Walk & Roll to School Day many Sonoma County bike trains will enjoy a police escort!

The walking school bus is like a walking car pool. Parents organize and share the walking, picking up walkers along the way.

Don’t miss this opportunity! Whether you walk or ride, plan to participate on October 6. The fresh air, wind in your face, a deep breath and an unstoppable smile shared with your own children… that’s the stuff dreams are made of.

Click here to see the article at the Sonoma Family Life Magazine