Elementary and middle school students in the Bartlesville Public School District are encouraged to walk or bike to school on Wednesday, Oct. 2, in conjunction with the annual “Walk to School Day” event.
The event, which is part of the City of Bartlesville’s Safe Routes to School program, is an effort to raise awareness of the need for safe walking and biking facilities and to encourage students to take steps toward leading a healthier lifestyle. Each student who walks or bikes to school that day will receive a prize/treat to acknowledge their participation in the program, as long as supplies last.
“Parents are encouraged to walk with their children,” said Assistant City Planner/Grants Administrator Nancy Warring. “For some families, parking a distance away from the school and walking or dropping their students off a few blocks from their school are more feasible options. Organizing a ‘walking school bus’ is also a great way to participate in the challenge.”
Walk to School Day was first held communitywide in Bartlesville in 2009, thanks to a grant awarded by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to the City of Bartlesville, which helped facilitate the event.
Volunteers and other program supporters will be posted at each participating BPSD site to greet students who walk or bike to school, including some area elected officials and local police officers and firefighters.
For more information about Walk to School Day, see www.cityofbartlesville.org or contact Kerry Ickleberry, BPSD Safe and Healthy Schools coordinator, at 918-336-3311 ext. 1196.