Communities across the Sacramento region participated in International Walk to School Day and kicked off “Walktober” on October 7, encouraging everyone to make walking a priority during the month of October. Students, parents, teachers, and community members representing over 60 schools in Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer, and Yolo counties organized encouragement events to spread the message that walking to school is healthy, clean, and fun. WALKSacramento staff worked with parents, school and government officials, law enforcement, fire department, and a number of other partner organizations to host major events at three elementary schools in Sacramento.
Walk to School Day at Del Dayo Elementary in Arden-Arcade was a great success! Walking leaders from Safe Kids Greater Sacramento, Shriner’s Hospital for Children and FedEx met students and parents at a nearby shopping center where students received a pedestrian safety lesson from FedEx Walk this Way volunteers before taking off in walking school buses along a designated safe route to school. At school, students were greeted by Spare the Air Scooter who explained that walking is an environmentally friendly alternative to driving to school. Students received reflective zipper pulls for their backpacks and jackets to help make them more visible as they walk or bike to school. WALKSacramento is excited to be a part of a community effort promoting Safe Routes to Schools and active transportation.
Noralto and Harmon Johnson
WALKSacramento partnered with the City of Sacramento to bring a large Walk to School Day event to Harmon Johnson and Noralto Elementary School. The event was in honor of recent improvements in neighborhood and pedestrian safety in the Noralto Community, specifically, a new sidewalk and signalized intersection installed on Acacia Avenue by the two schools. The Walk to School Day event highlighted the recent improvements and encouraged parents and families to choose walking as their everyday option for getting to school.
Students walked to school along three routes that were each marked with a trail of pedestrian shoe prints to guide the way. Students received reflective prizes and tickets to the schools’ fall festivals and carried posters from their recent Walk to School Day poster contest. At each school site students were greeted by their principals, fun music, snacks, and the Nutrition Services Mascot. Between the two elementary schools, it is estimated that nearly 700 students walked to school. Both schools were provided additional prizes to encourage students walk to school throughout the month of October.
The Walk to School Day volunteer team included the Office of Councilmember Allen Warren, the Twin Rivers Police Department, the City of Sacramento Fire Department, the California Department of Public Health, the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, and Safe Kids Greater Sacramento.
WALKSacramento thanks Raley’s for their financial support of Walk to School Day 2015 in Sacramento County.
October is Smart Commute Mo nth, join WALKSacramento and other smart commuters and ride transit, carpool, bike or walk to work for the rest of October. You can log your trips at www.sacregioncommuterclub.com and enter to win great prize!
