FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:|
October 1, 2011 CONTACT: Scott Walquist, KPS|3, 775-686-2116, scott@kps3.com
MJ Cloud, Safe Routes To School. 775-762-7991, mcloud@washoeschools.net Melissa Krall, Safe Kids Washoe County Coordinator, 775-691-9897, mkrall@remsa-cf.com Hundreds of Children Learn Pedestrian Safety with International Walk to School Day Event Media Note: Media is invited to Van Meter
Park at 8:15 am. WCSD Superintendent Heath Morrison will be walking with
students, parents, teachers and Principal Mentaberry from the park to
Katherine Dunn Elementary School (1135 O'Callaghan Dr Sparks, NV
89434).The parade will be escorted by the Washoe County School District
Police Dept and Officer MJ Cloud, Safe Routes To School Coordinator at
approx. 8:30; WCSD Superintendent Heath Morrison will be available prior
to this time for interviews.
Reno, Nev. - Fourteen Washoe County elementary schools along with Safe Kids
Washoe County and Safe Routes to School will participate in International
Walk To School Day on Wednesday, Oct. 5 to help promote safe
behavior for child pedestrians walking to and from school. Participating
elementary schools include: Esther Bennett; Caughlin Ranch; Glenn Duncan;
Jesse Hall; Stead; Marvin Moss; Kate Smith; Bernice Mathews; Greenbrae;
Katherine Dunn; Hidden Valley; Mount Rose; Grace Warner; and Anderson. Volunteers
will walk to school with students to identify unsafe intersections,
streets needing sidewalks, and dangerous areas where pedestrians
have either been hit or nearly injured by a motor vehicle.
"Parents and caregivers need to teach
children safe behaviors and drivers must be aware and on the lookout for
children on or near the road," said Melissa Krall, Sake Kids Washoe County Coordinator. "Walking
is an important and healthy activity but everyone needs to do their part
to keep this activity safe for kids. And while most of us would expect
drivers to be alert and careful in and around schools, research from Safe
Kids shows one out of every six drivers in school zones is distracted. This
makes improving pedestrian safety in school areas particularly vital."
Walk To School Day is a
culmination of a variety of activities including morning safety
announcements, school assemblies and safety poster contests that were made
possible through the efforts of dedicated teachers, parent volunteers and
non-profit workers. Law enforcement from Washoe County Sheriff's Office,
Washoe County School Police and the cities of Reno and Sparks will be
patrolling for pedestrian safety enforcement.
"This is an energizing
event, reminding everyone of the uncomplicated joy of walking to school,
the health benefits of regular daily activity, and the need for safe
places to walk and bike," said MJ Cloud, Safe Routes To School
Coordinator. "This is the perfect opportunity for
students to learn how to remain injury-free as they walk to and from
school."
According to the
National Center for Health Statistics, road traffic injuries are the
leading cause of death among children ages 3 to 14
worldwide. While the number of child pedestrians injured in
traffic crashes are decreasing in the United States, in 2009, more than
13,000 children, ages 14 and under went to the emergency room and 244
children died from pedestrian-related injuries.
Safe Kids Washoe
County, an organization working to prevent accidental childhood injuries,
will celebrate its 12th annual Walk This Way pedestrian event this year,
sponsored nationally by Fed Ex, in conjunction with International Walk To
School Day. The 2011 event also marks the third anniversary of the
introduction of the Safe Routes to School program that was established
through a cooperative partnership to encourage and enable Washoe County children to walk and bike to
school safely.
Safe
Routes to School is a federal program resulting in a $790,000 grant from the
Nevada State Department of Transportation (NDOT). Partners in the Safe Routes
to School program include: Washoe County School District Administration; Washoe
County School District Police; Kiwanis Bikes Program; Washoe County District
Health Department; Safe Kids Washoe County, Washoe County Air Quality
Management; Washoe County Sheriff's Office; and the Department of Public Safety
- Office of Traffic Safety. |
