International Walk to School Day

Community Consolidated School District 181 is making plans to participate for the eleventh consecutive year in the International Walk to School Day. The event, scheduled for Wednesday, October 6, provides an opportunity for parents and school staff to teach children about pedestrian safety, as well as emphasize the health benefits of walking to school.

The district's seven elementary schools will participate in the event, with principals and parent-teacher groups coordinating activities. In addition to students and their families, local village officials, state legislators and others have been invited to join in the walk, which will take place between 8:15 and 8:45 a.m.

The Lane School will celebrate Walk to School Day on Thursday, October 7. In the U.S., International Walk to School Day is expected to include 5,000 schools from all 50 states. Walkers from the U.S. will join children and adults in 40 countries around the world.

Walk to School events work 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, concern for the environment and building connections between families, schools and the broader community.

The first Walk to School event in District 181 was in October 2000, spearheaded by Hinsdale resident and safety advocate, Maryann Romanelli. The national observation of Walk to School Day began in 1987 in Chicago.