On October 7th four elementary schools, in partnership with Marshall Foundation for Community Health, participate in the El Dorado County project. The County Department of Transportation, the Placerville Police department, the City Recreation and Parks department and other community leaders embrace the need for greater awareness of the health and safety of our children.
At the Mosquito Road Park and Ride in Placerville, Schnell and Sierra Elementary School children and parents gathered to get checked in and receive a few healthy goodies. Parents, volunteers and teachers came out to coordinate groups of children to walk to school. Marshall Mouse came onto the scene along with the Sierra School Dragon and Schnell School Bobcat.
Why Walk to School?
Bob Smart, chair of the Placerville International Walk to School Steering Group reminds us, “The aim of International Walk to School is to make people think about the many positive benefits gained from regular walking. We want to see families walking together to promote health, fitness, safety and to show concern for the environment. Let’s also make it fun in the process, rather than a chore. After all, healthy people make healthy communities.”
Jerry Barton of the County Department of Transportation and the Safe Routes to School program in Placerville notes that: “In addition to providing opportunities for increased daily physical activity, iWalk provides a unique opportunity for communities to focus on the issues of safety for children on our streets and can encourage dialogue and action to create safer routes for children to walk to school, and other local destinations. In a way our use of the car has marginalized children and youth. iWalk says let’s reclaim the streets for people!”.