Hundreds of Iowa students will be walking or riding bikes to class tomorrow as part of Walk, Bike and Roll to School Day. Matt Burkey, the Safe Routes to Schools coordinator at the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, says he’s thrilled they’re seeing such a big boost in Iowa schools that are taking part in this twice-a-year promotion. “We’ve been seeing, in the last two years, an uptick in schools participating,” Burkey says. “I’ve been averaging about 10 new schools every time, but we’ve doubled our numbers from over 60 schools last October, to now, the count is 127 registered schools all across the state of Iowa to promote Walk, Bike and Roll to School Day.” Burkey says it’s a fun and active way to kick off the school day. “Back in the 1960s, about 60% of people walked or biked to school, and these days it’s less than 10%,” Burkey says. “So if we can get a few families here and there across the state to say, ‘Hey, I don’t need to drive to school and drop off my young students, if I could just walk or bike with them, get the exercise, get some sunshine, wave at the neighbors.’ It’s a great way to start your day and rebuild a sense of community across Iowa.” While the official day for the event is Wednesday, Burkey says any day in May will do if you’d still like to sign up. “All you have to do is go to WalkBiketoSchool.org and they’ll have a link right there,” Burkey says. “Anyone can sign up their school. It could be the principal or a teacher, or it could just be a parent that says, ‘Hey, I’m going to get a couple families together and we’re going to walk to school together or bike to school together.’” The day is part of a national movement to promote safe routes to school and active lifestyles for kids of all ages. By participating, Burkey says schools promote safe walking and biking, raise awareness about traffic safety, and encourage positive change in their communities.
Not really sure why this matters, but it seems like a lot of schools are getting on board with this whole Walk, Bike and Roll to School Day thing. I mean, back in the day, most people used to walk or bike to school, but now it’s like, nobody does that anymore. So, if a few families decide to ditch the car and take a stroll or bike ride with their kids, it could be a good thing. Plus, you get some exercise, soak up some sun, and maybe even make some new friends along the way. Who knows, maybe you’ll start a trend in your neighborhood.
Not gonna lie, I didn’t even know there was a national movement for safe routes to school and active lifestyles for kids. But hey, if it gets more kids walking and biking instead of being driven everywhere, then I guess it’s a win-win. And let’s be real, we could all use a little more exercise in our lives, am I right?
If you’re still interested in signing up for Walk, Bike and Roll to School Day, you can do it any day in May. Just hop on over to WalkBiketoSchool.org and you’ll find all the info you need to get started. It doesn’t have to be a big production either, just grab a few families and hit the road together. Who knows, you might even enjoy it.
In conclusion, Walk, Bike and Roll to School Day is all about promoting healthy habits, raising awareness about traffic safety, and bringing communities together. So, why not give it a shot and see what all the fuss is about? Who knows, you might just discover a new way to start your day that you never considered before. So, get out there and start walking, biking, or rolling your way to school tomorrow!
