Prince William County firefighters to join students in International Walk to School Day

Prince William County – (Press Release) Firefighters in Prince William County will join students from around the county to celebrate International Walk to School Day on October 10, 2018. Approximately 10,000 students from 30 Prince William County Public Schools will be walking and rolling to school on Wednesday, October 10, 2018, along with parents, teachers, community leaders and members of the Department of Fire & Rescue.

The event will begin at various times corresponding with the school’s opening. Kids, parents and community leaders will walk from meeting points along the walker’s route. Walkers at some schools will be joined by Fire & Rescue personnel as they exit the buses and enter the schools for the day. Walk to School Day events raise awareness of the need to create safer routes for walking and bicycling and emphasize the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion and concern for the environment.

“The Walk to School activities that each participating school undertakes heightens the importance of safe routes to and from school each day while encouraging all students to walk and be active for their health as well as their safety, states Prince William County Fire & Rescue Chief Kevin McGee. The events build connections between families, schools and the broader community. We thank our partner, Prince William County Public Schools for the support and commitment to the safety and health of our students here in Prince William County.”

For additional local information and a complete list of schools participating, please contact Christopher Brothers at 703-792-7736 or Kim Hylander at 703-792-6162. For additional information, please visit these websites:

About International Walk to School Day

• Walk to School Day was established in the United States in 1997 by the Partnership for a Walkable America. Canada and Great Britain already had walk to school programs in place. In 2000, these three countries joined together to create International Walk to School Day.
• In May 2006, the National Center for Safe Routes to School was established to assist communities in enabling and encouraging children to safely walk and bike to school.
• The National Center for Safe Routes to School serves as the national coordinating agency for Walk to School activities in the United States.
• Walk to School Day began as a simple idea – children and parents, school and local officials walking to school together on a designated day. It is an energizing event, reminding everyone of the simple joy of walking to school, the health benefits of regular daily activity, and the need for safe places to walk and bike. Schools focus on health, safety, physical activity and concern for the environment.
• Organizations supporting International Walk to School Day, in the United States, include America Walks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Highway Administration, the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the National Center for Bicycling and Walking, the National Center for Safe Routes to School, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Safe Kids Worldwide, and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership.