General Narrative

The following is from our friends at Kingsport City Schools:

Kingsport City Schools to Celebrate International Walk to School Day

Kingsport, Tenn. – October is National Walk to School Month with International Walk to School Day on Wednesday, October 9, 2013. Kingsport City Schools will have seven elementary schools participating in National Walk to School Month within the next two weeks.

Those schools include, Andrew Jackson Elementary, Thomas Jefferson Elementary, Andrew Johnson Elementary, John F. Kennedy Elementary, Abraham Lincoln Elementary, Theodore Roosevelt Elementary and George Washington Elementary schools.

“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, said Kingsport City Schools Coordinator of Coordinated School Health, Misty Keller. “The events build connections between families, schools and the broader community.”

Organized by the Partnership for a Walkable America, Walk to School Day in the USA began in 1997 as a one-day event aimed at building awareness for the need for walkable communities. In 2000, the event became international when the UK and Canada (both of which had already been promoting walking to school) and the USA joined together for the first International Walk to School Day. Growing interest in participation all over the world led the International Walk to School Committee to shifts its promotion to International Walk to School Month for the entire month of October.

“Last year, parent and student turn-out for these events was tremendous and everyone had a great time,” said Keller. “Our schools are really looking forward to the upcoming events for this year.”

The Kingsport Police Department will be providing extra patrol and police escorts around neighborhoods and schools during Walk to School Days. The listing below provides dates, times and meeting locations for each school:

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3,2013

JACKSON ELEMENTARY

· Meet in the church parking lot just below at Jackson at 7:15 am. Group will proceed to the school from there..

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9,2013

KENNEDY ELEMENTARY

· Meet at Lynn Garden Baptist Church by 7:30 am. Group will walk down May Ave. to Lynn Garden Dr., and then proceed up Dellwood to Kennedy.

ROOSEVELT ELEMENTARY

· Meet at the main office of Model City apartments at 7:15 am. Group will proceed to Roosevelt utilizing the side streets with brand new sidewalks!

JOHNSON ELEMENTARY

· Meet in the Storage Center parking lot beside Big Lots at 7:25 am. Group will proceed on Sherwood Place to Hermitage Dr. and then take Ormond Dr. to Johnson.

WASHINGTON ELEMENTARY

· Meet at Lifebridge Church on University Avenue at 7:30 am. Group will proceed to Bellingham Dr. and then to Washington.

LINCOLN ELEMENTARY

· Meet at Mayfair Methodist Church parking lot at 7:30 am. Group will proceed onto Garden Dr., then take Pineola to Lamont before turning right onto Magnolia and then to Lincoln.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013

JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY

· Meet at Fuji House parking lot at 7:30 am. Group will proceed up Eastman Rd. to E. Center St. and then to Jefferson.

International Walk to School Day is a global event that involves communities from more than 40 countries walking and biking to school on the same day. It began in 1997 as a one-day event. Over time, this event has become part of a movement for year-round safe routes to school and a celebration – with record breaking participation – each October. Today, thousands of schools across the United States – from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico – participate every October. For more information visit, www.walkbiketoschool.org.

For additional information, please contact:

Misty Keller

Coordinator of Coordinated School Health

Kingsport City Schools

423-378-2147

mkeller@k12k.com

or

Ptl. Thomas M. Patton

K.P.D. Community Relations & Crime Prevention Unit

423-229-9433

ThomasMPatton@KingsportTN.gov

K.P.D. Community Relations & Crime Prevention Unit