Walking and biking to school is a great way to get more exercise every day.
That’s why Tanner Health System’s Get Healthy, Live Well is partnering with parents of school-age children and administrators of Carrollton City Schools to make it safer for kids to bike and walk to school. More than 200 people are expected to take part in the Spring Walk and Roll Celebration on Wednesday, March 16, on the Carrollton GreenBelt. The event is part of the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program.
Children today are simply not getting enough physical activity, which contributes to more children suffering from unhealthy weight gain and the health problems that come with it. Safe Routes to School not only makes it safer for more children to walk and bicycle to school, it increases their physical activity. Students and their parents are encouraged to walk or roll to school every day through the end of the year.
Those who live too far to bike or walk to school from home can get in on the fun, too. Parents or guardians can park at the Carrollton GreenBelt trailheads located at Target (off Highway 27 in McIntosh Plaza), Hays Mill Road (immediately north of the Hays Mill Overlook subdivision) or the CVS on Maple Street and make their way to school. Meet up at the trailheads will take place between 7:15 and 7:30 a.m.
All students or student groups walking or bicycling to school must be accompanied by an adult. Once students arrive at school, there will be a celebration tent set up between Carrollton Elementary and Carrollton Middle School along the GreenBelt where there will be free gifts. Students will also get the opportunity to meet Broccoli Boy, Captain Carrot and Rude-A-Bay Girl – three vegetable heroes who star in Get Healthy, Live Well’s “Eat a Rainbow” play, which shows kids that eating healthy can be fun.
Carrollton elementary and middle school students can also pick up a healthy Grab ‘N’ Go breakfast in the cafeteria before heading to class. Elementary and middle school students pay $1 for breakfast. Students who qualify can get breakfast for free or at a reduced cost, which is $0.30.
Events like Walk and Roll create safer routes for walking and bicycling while emphasizing the importance of increasing physical activity among children. It also helps build connections between families, schools and the broader community. The local SRTS program is funded in part by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
To learn more about SRTS, visit www.carrolltoncityschools.net/parents or www.GetHealthyLiveWell.org.
Press Release
