Pump up your tires and polish your sneakers for Oregon Walk + Bike to School Day! This Wednesday, Oct. 8, is actually called International Walk to School Day, in which over 42 countries are expected to participate. But because we’re so enamored with bikes here in our part of the world, Oregon officially added them to the mix a few years back.
This is my second year as the organizer of Walk and Bike to School Day at my kids’ school. Last year we had so many participants, we ran out of room on the bike racks!
We registered with Oregon Walk + Bike and they will provide door prizes like blinkie lights and stickers for the kids, as well lots of information on how to get your event off the ground. We also got New Seasons to donate Z Bars and apples, and Starbuck’s is kicking in a couple gallons of coffee for the adults.
It’s a great party, and the kids especially love it. Over the years, I’ve come to realize that it’s easy to get kids walking and biking – they like the freedom, the exercise, and the time spent with mom and dad. It’s the parents who take more convincing. They have to get to work, they don’t want to get helmet hair, they don’t enjoy stomping in mud puddles…
But we owe it to our kids to give it a try – for their health and the health of the environment – and because it’s just darn good fun!

Posted by Anne

October 6th, 2008 | Category: Metro Parent