Mark your calendar for the first Wednesday in October. In the U.S., International Walk to School Day is expected to include 5,000 schools from 50 states. Walkers from the U.S. will join schools 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.
Each year students, parents and staff at Takoma Park ES, Piney Branch ES, Rolling Terrace ES and East Silver Spring ES participate in Walk To School Day. In 2010, East Silver Spring ES was selected to be the "host School" for Montgomery County. City, County and State officials joined the school community as they walked to school together.
Special guests included, Whole Foods' Chef Egg, MCPS School Board Vice President At-Large Shirley Brandman, County Executive Isiah Leggett, United States Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown, Director of the Montgomery County Department of Transportation Arthur Holmes, Montgomery County Fire Chief Richard Bowers and the East Silver Spring Elementary students.
