More than 7,000 students, parents, and community leaders at 34 BVSD schools in Boulder and Broomfield counties are expected to walk and wheel to school on Wednesday, Oct. 5, in celebration of International Walk to School Day. This annual event celebrates walking and cycling as a simple and healthy way to travel to school. 

"Walking to school is a meaningful tradition that deserves to be celebrated," said Boulder Mayor Susan Osborne, who will join Flatirons Elementary School's celebration by leading their parade and speaking to students at the outdoor classroom. 

Throughout the district, parent volunteers coordinate activities and take extra steps to make their school events festive and fun. Amy Lythgoe, a parent volunteer at Superior Elementary School, sees the event as a jump starter.

"We kicked off WOW Superior, our walking and wheeling program, last year on International Walk to School Day," said Lythgoe. "We’ve watched it blossom into something that lasts well beyond the first Wednesday in October. We hope as our students matriculate to new schools, they'll carry this passion for pedestrian commuting."

"Some of my fondest childhood memories are of walking to school," said Mayor Osborne. "It wasn't just about being outside and walking at the beginning and end of the school day, but also the sense of freedom between home and school and the sociability of meeting other kids along the way."

A classic neighborhood school for walking and biking, Whittier Elementary is celebrating in style with a walk parade, hula hopping, and a baked goods give-away.

"We are averaging only about 35 cars each day in the Hug & Go lane with 395 students coming to school," said Whittier Principal Becky Escamilla. "That is a great percentage of walkers and riders with about 100 children on the bus."

This year's event again includes a “Shoot the Moon” challenge which encourages students to walk to school all week from October 3 -7 and accumulate enough steps (times 10) to walk to the moon.

“The message to the children is that their actions and steps make a big difference!” said Julie Ireland, BVSD Event Coordinator. "By going the extra mile, students are eligible for prizes such as a free school lunch."

“We feel that an active daily routine and eating well go hand in hand in helping to create an overall healthy lifestyle for our students in the Boulder Valley School District,” said Brandy Dreibelbis, who works with BVSD Food Services and the School Food Project. The School Food Project is donating free school lunch coupons as prizes for students who participate in the Shoot the Moon challenge.

Thank you to the parent volunteer Walk Coordinators and generous sponsors: BVSD Transportation Department, BVSD School Food Project Clif Bar & Co., Denver Regional Council of Governments, Eco-Cycle, GO Boulder/City of Boulder, and Rush Bowls.

More information about the walk to school movement may be found at http://www.walktoschool.org/  and http://www.bvsd.org/toschool. This event also features the Eco-Cycle Used Shoe Collection the week of October 3-7.

The International Walk to School event links physical activity to nutrition and health in the spirit of the national Let’s Move campaign (http://www.letsmove.gov/ ) spearheaded by American First Lady Michelle Obama.