Riverside County kicks off International Walk to School Day Oct. 4

Thousands of Riverside County students, staff and families will take part in International Walk to School Day on Wednesday, Oct. 4, to support a healthier lifestyle and active transportation.

The one-day event is part of a worldwide effort to celebrate the many health benefits of walking and biking to school, and to encourage families to park the minivan and embrace healthy changes that will last year-round.

“This is just one day, but we are hopeful the community will see the benefits of walking and biking to school and make it an everyday habit,” said Kim Saruwatari, director for Riverside University Health System – Public Health (RUHS-PH), which coordinates the program locally. “This is part of an overall healthier lifestyle for students, parents and staff that includes more exercise, healthier eating and consuming less sugary drinks.”

Some students, parents and community-based volunteers from throughout Riverside County will form “walking school buses” in which groups of children, parents and volunteers will walk to school together. About 40 schools throughout Riverside County have signed up to take part in the program while other schools are participating in their own programs.

Public Health offers the following tips for students and families:

• Be predictable, use crosswalks.
• Walk on sidewalks, when available.
• Always look left-right-left before crossing the street. 
• Make sure to make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street.

Drivers should be alert for more people walking to school the morning of Oct. 4 and be prepared to stop for children crossing the street. 

International Walk to School Day is the start of a year-long effort to create sustainable walking and biking programs to improve fitness, air quality and traffic flow around schools, which increases student safety. The event is coordinated by the Safe Routes for All program at RUHS-PH and is sponsored by a combination of public agencies, police departments, city governments and community organizations.

Schools are encouraged to participate and host a Walk to School Day event on their campus. For additional information, please contact the Safe Routes for All program [email protected]. 

For additional information, please visit these websites:

• Walk to School Day in the USA - www.walkbiketoschool.org
• Safe Routes Partnership - www.saferoutespartnership.org

Click here for list of participating schools. For more information on the Safe Routes to School program, visit Injury Prevention Services | Riverside University Health System (ruhealth.org) or www.facebook.com/RivCoSafeRoutesToSchool.

# # #