Bathgate is Firing Up Their Feet to Win Big for Wellness for the K-5 school!

Bathgate Elementary School is going all out for wellness and healthy living for this year’s Fire Up Your Feet Challenge.

Over 130 schools all across California are tracking their physical activity over the entire month of October for this Kaiser Permante program that will award a total of $41,000 to schools all over the state for the challenge. At the moment, Bathgate Elemetary School, is ranked #10 in the state wide challenge.

During the month of October, all students, parents, guardians, faculty and school personnel were encouraged to be physically active and track their activity for the contest. The goal of the contest is to reinforce one’s commitment to healthy, active lifestyles.

Each week, students, faculty and parents have been religiously turning in sheets that tracked their daily physical activities. The goal of the program is to help engage school staff, parents and children to be role models for health.

Bathgate’s beloved cross guard Bo Glezos has been tracking his physical activity daily and shared that he walks an average of 12,000 steps each day he assists students walking safely to and from school. That distance is the equivalent to about 6 miles a day. This year alone, the 69 year old cross guard has walked already 1,850 miles. His goal for the years is to reach 2,000 miles.

The Mission Viejo school is more than thrilled to log on Glezo’s activity as Bathgate strives to reach the top prize of $5,000 for the Fire Up Your Feet Challenge. The Capistrano Unified School District started it’s school year on August 25 this year and is slated to start even earlier next school year. Funds from the Fire Up Your Feet challenge are hoped to use towards shade coverage for the school playground and more equipment for the children for wellness.

On October 7, which was National Walk to School Day, Bathgate’s parking lot was virtually empty when 91% of the students walked to school. The only exemptions were from children that took a bus to school or absences. Students were joined by parents and friends as they walked to school. Mission Viejo’s Mayor Cathy Schlicht, a representative from Congresswoman Mimi Walters and the local police department joined Bathgate during the annual Walk to School event to show support for the important school cause.

Last year, the K-5th grade school won $1,700 in the fall and spring challenge of the same program – funds which were used to upgrade PE equipment and obtain additional training for their personnel for student health related safety.