New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
International Walk and Bike to School Day, October 9th
Wednesday, October 9th is International Walk and Bike to School Day, an effort sponsored by Walk to School Day in the USA, National Center for Safe Routes to School, International Walk to School Day and MassRIDES.
Walk and Bike 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, decreasing traffic congestion, concern for the environment and building connections between families, schools, public safety and the broader community. Safe Routes programs can establish healthy lifetime habits for students, increase children’s independence, help them arrive at school ready to learn, and teach safe pedestrian, bicyclist, and driver skills.
This year, Mass in Motion New Bedford’s “focus school” is the Keith Middle School, 225 Hathaway Blvd, New Bedford. Students and staff there will participate in a “three-wave” event, in which each grade level will walk around the school during a designated period, followed by line dancing in the gymnasium.
We are joining Mayor Mitchell and other City leaders, Principal Sykes, teachers, staff, and the 8th grade students to walk as a group around the school during their first period. There will be a few brief speeches regarding the importance of Safe Walking/Biking and physical activity throughout New Bedford as we continue to fight the childhood obesity epidemic in our City.
We will assemble at Keith Middle School at 8:00 am on Wednesday — Please come join us! Other New Bedford Public schools, including Normandin, Roosevelt, Brooks, Rodman and others will be hosting similar events on that day for their students.
If you unable to join us at Keith, please encourage your kids, friends, colleagues and families in your neighborhoods to walk to/from/during school on October 9th to join the many other schools around the world that are raising awareness of the importance of walking together to build community, healthy kids and safe streets!
For more information, visit:
Mass in Motion New Bedford – www.massinmotionnewbedford.org
MassRIDES Safe Routes to School – http://www.commute.com/schools
Walk to School Day in the USA – www.walkbiketoschool.org
National Center for Safe Routes to School – www.saferoutesinfo.org
International Walk to School Day – www.iwalktoschool.org
