International Walk to School Day – October 7, 2009
It's that time again! October 7, 2009 is International Walk (and Roll) to School Day and October is Walk to School Month. Register your Walk to School event at www.walktoschool.org and receive a box of goodies for your participants and a tool kit to help you plan. Let's break our record participation set last year--43 schools from 15 communities!
By registering, you are automatically entered into the Mississippi Walk to School Day Challenge (see below for details). You also gain access to a variety of downloadable materials, like certificates, templates for stickers and frequent walker punch card. Registrants can also subscribe to a weekly Walk to School e-newsletter with tips and resources on holding a Walk to School event. And if you can’t hold your event in October, register your scheduled date and still qualify for the goodies!
If you want to add to the fun of Walk to School Day, build up momentum beginning a week or two before your event with the start of a Frequent Walker/Bike Contest. The Mississippi Department of Health’s Safe Routes to School Program offers frequent walker/biker punch cards for free. If successful, keep the program going and help Mississippi’s kids build good habits and increase their physical activity. To request the punch cards, contact Babatunde Fahm at babatunde.fahm@msdh.state.ms.us or 601-576-7781.
WALK TO SCHOOL DAY
October 7, 2009 is International Walk to School Day, and October is International Walk to School Month. Walk (and Roll) to School events are a way for schools and communities to build enthusiasm for walking to school, to promote the benefits of walking and bicycling and to bring visibility to any safety concerns. Why participate? To promote physical activity, obesity prevention and a greener community and to target pedestrian safety.
JOIN THE FUN
All Mississippi elementary and middle schools are welcome to participate. Schools participate as a team. It’s easy and fun! Schools sign up online at www.walktoschool.org, by registering their walking event. Register your event by September 4 and you are guaranteed to receive goodies to hand out to all of your walkers (and bikers) on the day of your event.
THE CHALLENGE
The school with the highest percentage of walkers at the walk to school event will be awarded the Walk to School Challenge Trophy, and every participating student walker will receive a backpack.
THE TROPHY
The winning school will get to display the trophy for one year. At the end of the school year, they will return the trophy for the next winner. The top three schools will receive a plaque to show their support for active commuting to school.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
1. Designate a coordinator who will be the liaison between the statewide Walk to School Challenge and your school.
2. Register your school’s walking event at www.walktoschool.org. Make sure all items on the registration form are completed.
3. Plan your walk to school event sometime in the month of October. If the infrastructure around your school doesn’t support walking, hold a walk at school event.* By registering your event by September 4, you will receive a tool kit filled with resources to help you plan like sample letters to community leaders, press releases and event flyers. www.walktoschool.org has many resources and event ideas and stories from successful events across the country.
4. HAVE FUN AT YOUR EVENT!
5. Complete and return the follow-up survey that will be automatically emailed to you at the end of Walk to School Month, October. Once all the surveys arrive, we’ll select the winner.
If you have questions, contact Cookie Leffler, Safe Routes to School Coordinator, Mississippi Department of Transportation, 601-359-1454 or cleffler@mdot.state.ms.us.
