To celebrate National Walk to School Day, more than 180 students from Cedar Hill, East, Moreau Heights and West elementary schools in Jefferson City joined together with building staff and district administrators to walk to school Wednesday.
Elementary schools in the Jefferson City School District began participating in National Walk to School Day three years ago through Healthy Schools Healthy Communities, a grant-funded program through the Missouri Foundation for Health with the mission to increase healthy eating, physical exercise and other wellness opportunities.
For the past three years, Healthy Schools Coordinator Kelsey Chrisman has worked with Callaway Hills, East, South and Thorpe Gordon elementary schools through the grant.
Although the grant ended, JC Schools has continued the Healthy Schools program. This school year, Chrisman was hired as the district's first JC Healthy Schools coordinator to work with all elementary schools in the district.
A large group of students, staff, administrators and parents walked to Moreau Heights on Wednesday morning, starting at the corner of Moreau Drive and Fairmount Boulevard.
Chrisman, who was part of the group that walked to Moreau Heights, said she looks forward to this event every year and appreciates the sense of community walking to school together creates.
"This is a wonderful way to bring awareness or to just get people excited or even just to celebrate the joy and independence of walking to school," Chrisman said.
While some students who participated in National Walk to School Day usually walk to school, many were dropped off at the starting location to walk to school for the first time.
Chrisman said she hopes this event sparks more interest in walking to school, and she hopes more schools can participate in the future.
"Physically active kids are more likely to become healthy, physically active adults, and that's why the JC Healthy Schools program being in elementary schools is so exciting," she said.
It's difficult to find fun events for children right now because of COVID-19 restrictions, Chrisman said, but this event was a great way to have fun outside while getting exercise.
"It's fun, and that's what I'm all about," Chrisman said. "We're always looking for ways to incorporate physical activity into these kids' days, so what better way than to start it by walking to school with your friends and maybe even your family?"
Superintendent Larry Linthacum, who also participated in the walk to Moreau Heights, said he believes Walk to School Day is important because it encourages children to exercise and creates a sense of community. Connecting with the students on the way to school was encouraging to him, he said.
"We're in this together - especially in this day and age with everything going on with COVID," he said. "Going to school can still be done together and community-wide, and it's just a good reminder for all of us."