Students, teachers, celebrities and community leaders laced up their walking shoes October 5th in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and dozens of other Oklahoma communities to celebrate International Walk to School Day.
“Years ago, most children walked to school, but these days the majority arrive by bus or car and walking is no longer part of the daily routine. That’s one of the lifestyle changes that’s putting more children at risk of becoming overweight or obese”, says Chrystal Hedges, Health at School program supervisor at OCCHD.
“We’re hoping to use Walk to School Day events to jump-start programs that will encourage children to walk, bicycle or get other exercise on a regular basis,” Hedges says. “Childhood obesity has been increasing at an alarming rate and boosting levels of physical activity is important in reversing that trend.”
OCCHD and the Tulsa City-County Health Department are working together to develop programs that will make it easier for children to exercise more and improve their health by either walking or bicycling to and from school. Health at School in Oklahoma City and It’s All About Kids in Tulsa are focused on reducing obesity through better nutrition and increased physical activity
Walk to School events work to create safer routes for walking and bicycling and emphasize the importance of issues such as pedestrian safety, traffic congestion, concern for the environment and building connections between families, schools and the broader community.
The goals of International Walk to School Day include:
Physical activity
Teaching safe walking skills to children
Awareness of how walkable a community is and where improvements can be made
Concern for the environment
Reducing traffic congestion, pollution, and speed near schools
Taking back neighborhoods for people on foot
Sharing time with community leaders, parents, principals, teachers, and children
Health at School sponsored three Walk to School Day events in the Oklahoma City Metro area on Wednesday morning, October 5th:
Millwood Public Schools – 7:30 a.m.
6724 Martin Luther King Ave (North of I-44)
Oklahoma Schools Superintendent Janet Barresi joined pre-kindergartners through 8th graders for a walk along a designated pathway around the Millwood Schools campus. The walk began at the Millwood Field House at 7:30 and ended with breakfast when the walk was completed.
Another celebrity also joined the Millwood walkers – LaRhonda Darby, who lost more than 200 pounds in one year as a participant on the ABC program Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition. Darby is currently living in the Metro area and is committed to helping children learn how to control their weight.
Spencer Elementary School – 7:30 a.m.
8900 N.E. 50th, Spencer (NE 50th & N Douglas Blvd)
Buses dropped off students at Ben Black Park behind the Spencer Historical Society Museum, and students, staff, and volunteers walked to school at 8:00 a.m. Spencer Police closed the streets along the walking path and escorted the group.
Martin Luther King Elementary – 10:30 a.m.
1201 NE 48th Street (East of Kelley)
Martin Luther King Elementary walked during the school day, beginning with Pre-K children at 10:30 a.m. Students walked a designated path at an open area adjacent to the school. After each grade completed the number of required laps, the walkers went to lunch, and the next grade began their walk.
The Oklahoma students joined children from more than 3,500 schools in the U.S. that participated in International Walk to School Day. Schools in 40 other countries also participated.