Park Terrace School and Nathan Littauer Celebrate International Walk to School Day

Hundreds brave the weather for good health while reducing their carbon footprints and local traffic

Today, Park Terrace Elementary School joined schools from around the world to celebrate International Walk to School Day. The event was also supported and organized by Nathan Littauer Hospital. “ This was a fantastic event for all participants. We didn’t know that walking to school could be so much fun” stated Steve Pavone, Park Terrace principal.

Littauer helps students walk to school

Approximately 140 students walked to school along with parents, teachers and community leaders. Local Police were on hand to help direct traffic and promote safety.

The event began at 8am with kids, parents, school staff and community leaders meeting at the park at the intersection of Park & Forrest Streets and walking up the hill to school, with walkers arriving at school in time for a special breakfast prepared by the school food service department. In all, the children walked approximately three quarters of a mile one way. Students carried signs they had made promoting Walk to School Day and demonstrating school spirit. They were asked to sign in and then chose from a selection of incentive items such as reflective tags or pencils provided by the state Safe Routes to School Program. Each student who participated will have their name entered in a drawing for a bicycle. Earlier in the week they had reviewed “walking safety” at an all school assembly.

In 2011, International Walk to School Day was celebrated at more than 4,000 events at schools across the United States, along with children and adults in 40 countries around the world.

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.

The event was organized by Park Terrace with support from HealthLink, a department of Nathan Littauer Hospital and Fulton County Public Health. Both health agencies look forward to working with other schools in an effort to promote safe walking (and biking) to school as a healthy, fun way to get some activity, enjoy time with friends, reduce traffic congestion and pollution.

“Events like the National Walk to school day really bring our message of preventative health to the community, where they can have the most impact. It was great to see so many children and families walking to school, participating in healthy activity and most of all, they had fun doing it”, said Sue Cridland, Director of Community Education from NLH.