On October 7, 2015, 61 Kane County elementary and middle schools participated in the annual International Walk to School Day event sponsored by the Fit For Kids Funders’ Consortium, along with local sponsors: the City of Elgin, the City of Aurora, and John B. Sanfilippo and & Son, Inc.
On this day, schools from around the county, the United States, even the world, encourage students to walk or bike to school. Promoting an active lifestyle—such as walking to school—helps children get the regular activity they need, while forming healthy habits that can last a lifetime.
Walk to School Day highlights the importance of developing safe and easy ways to increase the physical activity that makes kids healthier, and addresses priorities in the Fit Kids 2020 Plan. The hope is to make physical activity a routine part of everyone’s day. Events such as this often grow into more frequent events due to the enthusiasm that walking- and biking-to-school events can inspire.
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.
The Kane County event is made possible annually by the Fit For Kids Funders’ Consortium: Rush-Copley Foundation, United Way of Elgin, Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley, Kane County Division of Transportation, and the Kane County Health Department.