Carrboro Elementary School students and their families met at Wilson Park on Wednesday to walk, bike and roll to school.
Walk & Roll to School Day is an annual event organized by the National Center for Safe Routes to School that encourages students across the country to use alternative forms of transportation to school. This year marked the 27th year of this event.
Carrboro Mayor Damon Seils, who joined the students on the walk, said one purpose of the event is to advertise why it is important for the community to have safe ways other than cars to get around.
He said this cuts down the use of single occupancy vehicles, protects the environment and promotes healthy behaviors. Seils added that the Town is prioritizing ways to provide safe and accessible routes to school, so there are options beyond using a car.
“The Town of Carrboro is really intentional about creating bike paths and walking paths so that it's a safe community for students and families to have the opportunity to walk and bike,” Carrboro Elementary School principal Jennifer Halsey said.
Walk & Roll to School Day also aims to promote regular physical activity for students.
Carrboro Elementary School nurse Ingrid Marzuola said that it is important to start a regular routine of movement early in life.
“You don't have to set aside special time necessarily, but it can be part of what you normally do,” she said. “Establishing those habits at an early age is important to maintaining those habits throughout your lifetime.”
By walking to school, children can incorporate regular physical activity into their daily lives. Regular physical activity helps children build strong bones, muscles and joints and decreases the risk of obesity, according to the National Center for Safe Routes to School
