INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Schools across the state will join schools from around the world to celebrate International Walk to School Day on Oct. 8, 2014.
Walk to School Day events raise awareness of the need to create safer routes for walking and bicycling and emphasize the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion and concern for the environment.
The events build connections between families, schools and the broader community. Approximately 100,000 students in over 375 schools in Florida will be walking and biking to school on Wednesday along with parents, teachers and community leaders.
FDOT Chief Safety Officer, Lora Hollingsworth said, “Bicycle and pedestrian safety is a top initiative for the department. Walking to school creates healthy habits for students and families, and we want to ensure a safe way for them to get there and home safely.”
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.
For additional local information, please contact your local school district to see what schools will be participating.
For additional information, please visit these websites:
Walk to School Day in the USA www.walkbiketoschool.org; National Center for Safe Routes to School www.saferoutesinfo.org; and International Walk to School Day www.iwalktoschool.org.