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Oswego schools Kingsford Park Elementary, Charles E. Riley Elementary and Trinity Catholic will join schools from around the world to celebrate International Walk to School Day on Wednesday, Oct. 12.
This event is held in collaboration with the Oswego County Traffic Safety Board and other organizations which will take part. The Oswego Police and Fire Departments, New York State Police, SUNY Oswego Police, Oswego County Sheriff’s Office, Oswego County Ambulance Service, and Oswego County Health Department will join students as they walk to school.
“We expect over 100 students to participate in this year’s event with another 20 to 30 volunteers to help walk the students to school,” said Oswego County Traffic Safety Board Coordinator Aine Foley. “We are grateful to be able to work with so many community organizations, school leaders, teachers, and parents to help put this event on for the sixth year in a row.”
The event will begin between 8 and 8:15 a.m. with kids, parents, and community leaders walking. Please reach out to your child’s school for the exact details.
Walk to School Day events raise awareness of the need to create safer routes for walking and bicycling. It also helps to 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 is being organized by The Oswego County Traffic Safety Board, Oswego City Police Department, and Oswego City Schools. This event is sponsored by the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee.
For more local information, contact Aine Foley at 315-343-2344 ext. 122.
# # # About International 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.
In May 2006, the National Center for Safe Routes to School was established to assist communities in enabling and encouraging children to safely walk and bike to school.
The National Center for Safe Routes to School serves as the national coordinating agency for Walk to School and Bike 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 Safe Routes to School, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Safe Kids Worldwide, and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership.
For more information, visit these websites:
- Walk to School Day in the USA www.walkbiketoschool.org
- National Center for Safe Routes to School www.saferoutesinfo.org
