SOUTHERN COLORADO — It is “National Walk to School Day” and to celebrate, many local schools took a brisk stroll to class this morning.
October is also known as “WALKtober” nationally for schools and building off that, today is a national day to recognize something that is very human for us all, and that is the art of walking.
The national day is all about encouraging people to opt outside and get a little bit of exercise safely. To ensure that safety, faculty gathered early to walk these kids to school. Schools all through Southern Colorado participated in today’s walk, including Gold Camp Elementary School and Harrison School District Two, along with Sunset Park Elementary School.
“I appreciate all of our staff that are willing to get up a little earlier to help support our kiddos and help support us on this day and I hope this becomes kind of contagious for our community that they might try doing this a little bit more,” said Principal John Hull, Sunset Park Elementary School.
Sunset Park Elementary School will be undergoing construction soon so the school is hoping more parents will consider letting their kids walk to school frequently. I asked Principal Hull if having staff out early to ensure safety was an option and he said that is something the school could discuss. The purpose of today is to encourage and promote pedestrian and road safety among the community.
The Colorado Department of Transportation says the pandemic has shown the need for more crosswalks, and public spaces that support walking, biking, and opting outside.
