Annual Walk to School Day on Wednesday

Grab your walking shoes.

Wednesday, Oct. 5 is International Walk to School Day in the United States and a number of Laguna Niguel elementary schools will be participating including Marian Bergeson. 

What's it all about? On this day students, parents, and even school officials are encouraged to not use cars their cars to get to school, but walk or ride their bikes.

“It’s always been a big deal here at Bergeson,” said Barbra Scholl, principal at “It’s a celebration.”

According to Scholl the school has been celebrating Walk to School Day even before she took over as principal 4 years ago.

Marian Bergeson Elementary will be just a few of the 3,500 schools throughout the nation expected to celebrate. The U.S. is one of 40 countries worldwide partaking on this day.

The U.S. began Walk to School Day in 1997 in Chicago. Chicago’s day was modeled after the United Kingdom’s Walk to School Day. Five years later, 2002, the special day spread throughout the country as not only a day to just walk to school but to encourage healthier habits, cleaner air, and safer streets for people to walk on.

“The P.T.A. puts up speakers at the entrance of school and play music as the kids come in,” explained Scholl.  “They’re also given a sticker that if they wear it all day, they get a Popsicle.”

The Laguna Niguel Police are on hand to escort students from different corners near the school, and over to the school’s entrance. 

“The students find it fun,” said Scholl about the escorts. “It’s a source of family fun.”

Even with a forecast of rain tomorrow, Marian Bergeson Elementary students and staff will walk to school. 

“Last year, it poured like cats and dogs,” said Scholl. “We’ll do it rain or shine, we just tell the kids to bring their umbrellas.”