Ready to walk. Photo by María Helena Carey
As you make your commute this Wednesday, plan to encounter sidewalk and street congestion. Take a deep breath, be safe and patient, and meditate on this: We live in an awesome neighborhood built for biking and walking for commuters of all ages! Wednesday, October 7 is International Walk-to-School Day and even more kids than usual will biking or walking to schools all over Capitol Hill. Give yourself extra time to get to work; kids’ legs are short so they walk and pedal slowly, often weighed down by backpacks half their size. And they really, really, really –as demonstrated EVERY day in my house– don’t put a high value on others getting anywhere on time.
Kids and parents from the 15 participating schools from across the neighborhood will gather at 7:30 a.m. at Lincoln Park. The goal of the event is not only celebrate the benefits of safely walking or biking to school by encouraging families to trade in the car for their feet, but also to build connections between families, schools and the broader community. The event, organized by the Capitol Hill Public Schools Parent Organization, gets tons of neighborhood support: Donations have poured in from the Capitol Hill Community Foundation, DC Water, Vida Fitness and fitness instructor Gabriella Boston. Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, and Tommy Wells, who is now director of the District Department of the Environment and Energy – along with the fabulous Maury and J.O. Wilson Elementary cheerleaders – will get the crowd pumped up.
So please: Watch those crosswalks and come to a full stop at stop signs – every day – but especially Wednesday. This is the largest Walk-to-School event in the city and Lincoln Park will be teeming with excited kids. By 8:30 a.m., everyone will be walking or biking, caravan style, to make it to their respective schools by the time school starts at 8:45 a.m.