Walk to School Day is Oct. 8 in Madison

International Walk to School Day will be held
on Wednesday Oct. 8, as schoolchildren from the Madison Avenue Lower
and Upper Elementary Schools join 50 states and thousands of children
across the world by making the commitment to lead healthier lifestyles
by walking or bicycling to school.

Recent studies have shown
that fewer children are walking and biking to school, and more children
are at risk of becoming overweight. A recent Institute of Medicine
Study stated that today’s children may be the first generation to have
a shorter life expectancy than their parents have. Several other
studies have listed Mississippi as the most obese State in the U.S.

Public
health officials have pointed to physical activity and safe places to
walk and bicycle as factors in curbing the obesity epidemic among
America’s youth.
Walk to School Day began as a simple idea –
children and parents, school and local officials walking to school
together on a designated day. The event focuses on health, safety,
physical activity, a sense of community and concern for the environment.

Walking
and bicycling to school can benefit children in a variety of ways. A
number of parents and teachers have commented that children arrive more
alert and ready for the day when they walk to school.

Walk to
School Day will be conducted as part of the City of Madison’s ‘Safe
Routes to School’ Grant Program – a sustained, community effort to
improve the health and well-being of children by making walking and
bicycling to school safer, easier and more enjoyable. For additional
information on Walk to School Day or the Safe Routes to School Program,
contact Chris Pace at (601) 856-7116.