Walk to School Day set for Oct. 2

SANDPOINT — Kids, parents, teachers and community leaders from more than 40 countries will walk and bike to school on Oct. 2 in celebration of International Walk to School Day.

This includes those in the Lake Pend Oreille School District, which has participated in the event since 2003. Walk to School Day events raise awareness of the need to create safer routes for walking and bicycling and emphasize the importance of increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion, and concern for the environment. The event builds connections between families, schools, and the broader community.

Walkers are encouraged to travel safely, according to a statement from the local LPOSD Safe Routes to School officials. Travel in groups with an adult or responsible older sibling and dress in brightly colored clothes. Avoid distractions, walk on sidewalks where available, make eye contact with drivers before crossing, and cross only at intersections. Motorists are advised to be aware and extra cautious of smaller pedestrians.

Walk to School Day participants will begin their journey to school at approximately 7:00-7:30 a.m. from designated school neighborhood locations. School buses will make special Walk to School Day drop-off stops en route to allow student bus riders the opportunity to participate. Student walkers should arrive at school no later than 7:50 a.m. If walking to school is not an option, students are encouraged to walk at school before the morning bell and during recess breaks.

Families should obtain specific school detailed event information from their school office, including adult volunteer opportunities, drop off locations, permission slip requirements, and designated walking routes. To find additional local information, contact your child’s school or Erin Billings, LPOSD Safe Routes to School coordinator, at erin.billings@lposd.org or the program’s Facebook page: Safe Routes to School Sandpoint Idaho LPOSD 84.

Walk to School Day was established in the United States in 1997 by the Partnership for a Walkable America, and Canada and Great Britain already had walk to school programs in place. In 2000, the three countries joined together to create International Walk to School Day, according to the statement. In May 2006, the National Center for Safe Routes to School was established to assist communities in enabling and encouraging children to safely walk and bike to school. The National Center for Safe Routes to School serves as the national coordinating agency for Walk to School activities in the United States.

In addition to creating awareness of the need for safe routes for children, walking and bicycling to school enables kids to incorporate the regular physical activity they need each day, while also forming healthy habits that can last a lifetime, according to walkbiketoschool.org.

Regular physical activity helps children build strong bones, muscles and joints, and it decreases the risk of obesity. In contrast, insufficient physical activity can contribute to chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and stroke, according to the website.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that children and adolescents get one hour or more of physical activity each day. Research suggests that physically active kids are more likely to become healthy, physically active adults, underscoring the importance of developing the habit of regular physical activity early.

Walk to School Day began as a simple idea — children and parents, school and local officials walking to school together on a designated day. It is an “energizing” event, according to the statement, reminding everyone of the simple joy of walking to school, the health benefits of regular daily activity, and the need for safe places to walk and bike.

Organizations supporting International Walk to School Day in the United States include America Walks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Highway Administration, the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the National Center for Safe Routes to School, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Safe Kids Worldwide, and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership.