Schools
Slideshow: Hoover Kids Hoof it to School
Safe Routes to School organizers say they had a good turnout and each year more and more kids are participating in the worldwide event.
Hundreds of K-8 students from Hoover Community School joined in on International Walk to School Day on Wednesday, many coming with parents and younger siblings in tow.
The event, organized locally by Safe Routes to School, emphasizes the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, reducing traffic congestion, concern for the environment and building connections between families, schools and the broader community.
Click on the slideshow above for highlights from Hoover's Walk to School Day.
"We've had a great turnout this year," said Hoover's Community School Coordinator Elena Betts.
Betts, along with Hoover Family Engagement Specialist Heidi Lavelle and parent volunteer Maria Alcantara, greeted students and handed out stickers to those as the arrived at school and handed out "I Walked to School" stickers to kids who arrived on foot (or two wheels).
Betts explained that the teachers would do a tally of the kids who walked this year to compare to walkers from years past. The Safe Routes to School Initiative will analyze the data and note the changes. The Hoover classroom with the highest participation will receive a prize Betts added.
Across the U.S., more than 5,000 schools in all 50 states plan to participated in the event.
Did your kids walk or ride their bike to school on Wednesday? Tell us about it in the comments below.
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