Local schools and Nathan Littauer to celebrate

National Bike or Walk to School Day May 8- 15, 2013

Nathan Littauer Hospital and schools from the Johnstown and Gloversville School districts  will join others from around the nation to celebrate National Bike or Walk to School Day on May 8 and throughout the following week.   The collaboration is with the schools, Public Health of Fulton County and local schools.   

Hundreds of students from Glebe Street and Park Terrace Elementary Schools will be walking and rolling to school Wednesday along with parents, teachers and community leaders.

Glebe Street students will walk or bike from home in the company of family or friends.  Glebe is holding a second walk or bike to school day one week later on May 15^th.  Students who participate in both events will have their name entered in a prize drawing.  For Park Terrace, the event will begin at 8 am with students, school staff, parents and community leaders walking or biking from the park at the intersection Park and Forrest Streets to school.  Participants will arrive at the school at in time for a special healthy breakfast and have their name entered in a prize drawing as well. 

Feedback from students who participated in last year’s walk to school days said they liked spending time with family and friends, recognizing that is was also good for them.  Many noted that they could concentrate in better school after their early morning exercise.  The event is being organized by the respective school with support from Nathan Littauer’s HealthLink, Fulton County Public Health and the Johnstown and Gloversville Police Departments.  HealthLink Director, Sue Cridland, said that these type of events are relatively easy to implement.. the key is having a few committed staff members at each school who are willing to promote the idea. 

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.

For additional local information, please contact Sue Cridland, Director of Community Education for Nathan Littauer Hospital , (518) 736-1120

 

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

International Walk to School Day                               www.iwalktoschool.org

                  

 

About Walk to School Day

• Walk to School Day was established in the United States in 1997 by the Partnership for a Walkable America. Canada and Great Britain already had walk to school programs in place.  In 2000, these three countries joined together to create International Walk to School Day. 
• The National Center for Safe Routes to School serves as the national coordinating agency for Walk to School activities in the United States. 
• 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, 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. Schools focus on health, safety, physical activity and concern for the environment.
• 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 Bicycling and Walking, 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.

 

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