PHOTOS: Woodbury Kids, Cops Take Part in Walk/Bike to School Day

Woodbury students who walked or biked today joined some 4,000 schools from around the world to celebrate International Walk to School Day on Wednesday, Oct. 5.

Liberty Ridge Elementary School and Middleton Elementary in Woodbury were a couple of the dozens of Minnesota schools that participated in the event.

Walk to School Day events raise awareness of the need to create safer routes for walking and bicycling and emphasize the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion and concern for the environment. The events build connections between families, schools and the broader community. The purpose of Walk to School Day is to promote healthy communities and active transportation choices.

Walk to School Day was established in the United States in 1997 by the Partnership for a Walkable America. Canada and Great Britain already had walk to school programs in place. In 2000, these three countries joined together to create International Walk to School Day.

The idea for Walk to School Day is simple: children and parents, school and local officials walking to school together on a designated day. It is an energizing event, reminding everyone of the simple joy of walking to school, the health benefits of regular daily activity and the need for safe places to walk and bike.

In May 2006, the National Center for Safe Routes to School was established to assist communities in enabling and encouraging children to safely walk and bike to school.

Skip Wood contributed to this story.

Images via Woodbury, MN Police Fire EMS