News Release News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Cindy Genau
September 30, 2005 NcCo SAFE KIDS
302-831-4973
Newark , Delaware - On October 5 th , members of the New Castle County Chapter of the Delaware SAFE KIDS Coalition will help a pproximately 500 students from Downes Elementary in Newark walk to school with their parents, teachers and community leaders as part of International Walk to School Day. The idea is to walk to school together to promote health, safety, physical activity and concern for the environment.
The walk is being organized locally by the Downes Elementary Safe Routes to School Committee, which includes members of the NcCo Chapter of the Delaware SAFE KIDS Coalition. Wednesday's event is part of a week of festivities celebrating International Walk to School Week, October 3-7, 2005.
Also on October 5th, SAFE KIDS Worldwide will release a new research report highlighting what communities can do to keep their kids safe. The report will also rank the most dangerous metropolitan areas for child pedestrians across the country. In 2004, no children under age 14 were killed in pedestrian crashes in Delaware , but 63 were injured. 51 of those injuries occurred in NcCo.
Wednesday's event will begin promptly a t 8:00 AM with students, parents and community leaders walking from Norma B. Handloff Park to Downes Elementary School . When they arrive, the walkers will receive clip on strobe lights so they can be seen on this, and every, walking trip. The strobe lights were provided by the NcCo chapter of the DE SAFE KIDS Coalition who received a grant from the SAFE KIDS Walk This Way program.
Walkers will include the Mayor of Newark, representatives from the City, County, and State legislature, Newark Police, Miss Delaware , a representative from the State Department of Education, along with Downes Elementary and Christina School district officials, Fed Ex, WILMAPCO, U of DE Cooperative Extension and the Delaware SAFE KIDS Coalition.
Other special activities associated with the walk include:
- Kick-off of the Lt. Governor's Fitness Challenge - immediately following the Walk behind Downes Elementary. Lt. Governor Carney is the Honorary Chair of the DE SAFE KIDS Coalition.
- Downes Walk to School pedestrian and school bus TREK program to Africa
- Pedestrian and Bike safety education programs in classrooms
"Walk to School Day" t-shirts have been sold to benefit Downes Elementary's sister school, Beach Elementary in Pascagoula , Mississippi , which was leveled by Hurricane Katrina.
Several community businesses and organizations donated items to enhance the event. They include: Delaware Safe Routes to School Committee, Delaware Department of Transportation, Delaware SAFE KIDS Coalition, FED EX, Newark Police Department, Ray Gardner of Keller Williams Realty, Toole Design, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension Traffic Safety Program, and WILMAPCO.
Now in its ninth year, International Walk to School Day is expected to include 3,000 schools from all 50 states. Walkers from the U.S. will also join children and adults in 36 countries around the world.
For additional information, please visit these web sites:
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