International Walk to School Day – Walk & Roll

Prince William County Fire and Rescue System firefights will join students from selective schools around the county to celebrate International Walk to School Day. Although this year’s event will take place on Wednesday, October 12, Prince William County schools will extend the activity throughout the month.

The event will begin at various times corresponding with the school’s opening. Students, parents and community leaders will walk from meeting points along the walker’s route. Walkers at some schools will be joined by Fire and 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 increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion and concern for the environment. International Walk to School Day is a global event involving communities from more than 40 countries walking and biking to school on the same day. 

“As a community, we deserve safe places to walk and bike,” states Acting Chief James Forgo of the Prince William County Fire and Rescue System. “What better place to start than with our children who travel to and from school? Participation in Walk to School activities by our schools not only heightens the importance of safe routes to and from school each day but encourages students to be active and healthy. Events like Walk to School Day builds connections between families, schools and the broader community. We thank our partner, Prince William County Public Schools, for their support and commitment to the safety and health of our students in Prince William County.”

For additional local information and a complete list of schools participating, contact Christopher Brothers at 703-792-7736. For additional information, visit:

Walk to School Day in the USA: www.walkbiketoschool.org
National Center for Safe Routes to School: www.saferoutesinfo.org

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.