Schools across Montgomery County are signing up to participate in this year’s Walk to School Day on Wednesday, October 2. The annual event was launched four years ago by the Partnership for a Walkable America to promote the benefits of walking to school.

The Board of Education approved the observance of Walk to School Day in Montgomery County Public Schools during its September 23rd meeting, citing the importance of physical fitness and of attention to the safety of pedestrians, particularly student walkers.

The goals of Walk to School Day are to help children and adults become more physically active by walking together to and from school; make it safer for children and adults to walk in their neighborhood; reduce traffic in neighborhoods, especially around schools; prevent crime through increased neighborhood vigilance; and help neighbors get to know one another.

Benefits to schools that participate in Walk to School Day include increasing the cohesiveness of the school community by encouraging children, parents, teachers, and community leaders to join forces with state and local officials to promote pedestrian safety and healthy living. Walking to school also reduces traffic congestion and air pollution around schools, reduces the demand on school staff for traffic management, and promotes increased physical activity.

Among the participating school communities are families and staff from Beverly Farms Elementary School in Potomac, who will gather in front of Winston Churchill High School for the walk to school on October 2nd. Students at Rosemary Hills Elementary School in Silver Spring will have breakfast together at a near-by community center, and then walk to school led by their principal and a large banner. At Brooke Grove Elementary School in Olney, where 90 percent of the students walk to school every day, students regularly participate in a Mileage Club during recess and last year raised $24,000 in a mini-walkathon that benefited a homeless shelter.

Information packets are available to schools that would like to organize a Walk to School Day event. For a free packet of planning materials or to request assistance in planning an event, contact Julie Maione at Julie.maione@co.mo.md.us or Bill Smith at wsmith295@comcast.net. Additional information about the walk to school movement can be found at the link below.