“International Walk and Roll to School Day” Events on Wednesday, October 7, 2009
For Immediate Release: October 1st, 2009
CONTACTS: Beth Dadko, Roseland and Bellevue School Districts, 707-565-6681; Julia Gonzalez, Santa Rosa City Schools, 543-3726; Steven Schmitz, Sebastopol, 585-7516; Sandi Maurer, West Sebastopol, 829-9403; Laurel Green, Windsor, 829-2619; Wendy Atkins, Sonoma, 933-2204; Eydie Tacata, Rohnert Park, 588-2205; Kit Lafroos, Petaluma, 773-3657; Lissa Beard, Healdsburg, 433-4301; Tim Gonzalez, West County, 823-7739
WHAT: The Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, Safe Kids Sonoma County, Santa Rosa Street Smarts, iWALK, Kaiser Permanente, Network for a Healthy California, and FedEx are sponsoring the 13th annual International Walk and Roll to School Day on Wednesday, October 7, 2009. Activities are planned at over 50 schools throughout the county to encourage children and their parents to walk and bike safely to school. Several elementary schools will host “walking school buses” and “bike trains”.
Roseland Elementary will be the focal school for the county. A “walking school bus”, starting at Bayer Farm 1550 West Ave., will pick up students and parents along West Ave., ending at the school. There will be great photo opportunities and a brief morning assembly on campus with interview opportunities. Guests will include Assembly member Noreen Evans, Santa Rosa Councilmember Ernesto Olivares, Kaiser Permanente Representative Kirk Pappas, School Principal Dana Pederson, and a representative from the Sheriff’s Department.
This year, Walk and Roll to School Day is kicking off a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program for the county. A new Safe Routes to School website www.sonomasaferoutes.org, funded by revenues from Measure M, is launching on Walk and Roll to School Day and can provide technical assistance to schools that would like to take Walk and Roll to School Day to the next level. iWALK Sonoma, www.iwalksonoma.org is also launching the iWALK school bus to create an incentive for schools to start walking groups to get kids to and from school. Schools in Sebastopol and the Santa Rosa City Schools are in their second year of a three-year federally-funded SRTS program, and the Roseland and Bellevue School Districts in south Santa Rosa are just beginning a three-year funded program.
WHY: Walk and Roll to School Day encourages and educates students to safely walk and bike to and from school, and educate parents, school officials, and staff about the benefits of walking and biking to school. Walking and biking to school promotes health, increases safety by reducing traffic congestion around schools, and aids the environment by reducing greenhouse gases produced from car exhaust.
WHERE: Roseland Elementary, 750 Sebastopol Rd., Santa Rosa, 95407
Walking School Bus starting at Bayer Farm (1550 West Ave.) will move up West Ave. towards Roseland.
Additional participating schools in Sonoma County include:
Santa Rosa: Biella Elementary, Comstock Middle, Helen Lehman, Hidden Valley, Hidden Valley Satellite, Proctor Terrace, Santa Rosa Charter, Strawberry, Rincon Valley Middle, Sheppard/ Roseland Accelerated Middle (RAMS), Meadow View, Taylor Mountain, Kawana
Windsor: Brooks Elementary, Windsor Middle, Cali Calmecac
Healdsburg: St. John’s, Healdsburg Elementary, Fitch Mountain, Healdsburg Junior High, Live Oak Preschool, Healdsburg Montessori, Healdsburg Community Nursery School, the Healdsburg School
Petaluma: Meadow School, Corona Creek, Sonoma Mountain Elementary, Miwok Valley Elementary, La Tercera
Sebastopol: Pine Crest, Brook Haven, Parkside, Sebastopol Independent Charter, Analy High School, Sun Ridge, Apple Blossom, Willow Spring, Orchard View, Tree House Hollow
Sonoma: Sassarini, Prestwood, St. Francis Solano, Sonoma Charter, Woodland Star Charter
West County: Monte Rio
Cloverdale: Jefferson, Washington, Cloverdale High
Rohnert Park: Monte Vista, Marguerite Hahn
WHEN: Wednesday, October 7, 2009
7:45 a.m.- Meet at Bayer Farm- walking school bus leaves at 8:00 a.m.
8:10 a.m.- Arrive at Roseland Elementary- morning assembly at 8:20 a.m.
PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES: Students walking to school, morning assembly with special guests
For additional information, please visit these Web sites:
Safe Kids Sonoma County www.safekidssonomacounty.org
Safe Routes to School www.sonomasaferoutes.org
iWalk www.iwalksonoma.org
