Chester County students join millions around the world
By Lauren Parker- Gill, Staff writer, The Times
East Fallowfield Police Chief Chris Porter and Lori Aguilera, Director of Highway Safety with the district attorney’s office, led the walk to school from Hephzibah Baptist Church along with students from East Fallowfield Elementary as they participated in International Walk to School Day, Wednesday morning.
EAST FALLOWFIELD – More than 300 students from kindergarten through fifth grade, along with teachers and staff at East Fallowfield Elementary School participated in International Walk to School Day with nearly 5,000 participating schools in the United States and millions of students worldwide, Wednesday morning.
International Walk to School Day began in 1997 as a way to provide students with safe, alternate ways to travel to school, create a cleaner environment, encourage community connections and promote healthy habits.
“International Walk to School Day is a great way to teach children the proper rules of the road and to get them to practice healthy habits,” said Chester County District Attorney, Tom Hogan in a press release. “The district attorney’s office is very excited to be participating in the event this year.”
This is the second year the Transportation Management Association of Chester County (TMACC) has organized this event in Chester County. Last year, St. Patrick’s School in Malvern and West Vincent Elementary School were the first two schools to participate. With both schools participating again this year and East Fallowfield Elementary also joining, the TMACC estimated that over 1,500 students from Chester County walked to school that day.
As police officers from East Fallowfield and the school district directed traffic on Strasburg Road, all parents and school buses dropped students off across the street from the school at Hephzibah Baptist Church.
More than 300 East Fallowfield students, teachers and staff participated in International Walk to School Day, along with thousands of schools across the United States.
Joining the teachers and students at the church was East Fallowfield School’s attendance secretary Sandra Frost, who walked from her home in Modena Borough.
“It was a beautiful day. I knew it would be a picturesque walk through the horse farm and a great way to participate in International Walk to School Day.” Frost said.
Once all buses had been accounted for and the students had excitedly gathered in the parking lot of the church, officers closed a small portion of Strasburg Road and the students began their walk to school. East Fallowfield Police Chief Chris Porter and Lori Aguilera the Director of Highway Safety, led the way as students carried a banner that read: “Walk this way.”
“This event was a community effort and was well orchestrated by the Transportation Management Association of Chester County, the East Fallowfield Township Police and the school district police,” said East Fallowfield school principal Wayne Wallace.
East Fallowfield School partnered with the East Fallowfield Police Department, the Coatesville Area School District Police, Paoli Hospital, Safe Kids Chester County, the Transportation Management Association of Chester County, the Chester County Health Department and the Chester County DA’s Office.
In addition to the United States and according to the official website of International Walk to School Day, the following countries also participated in International Walk to School Day Wednesday: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Cuba, Fiji, France, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Liechtenstein, Malta, Mexico, Napal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Rwanda, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Vietnam and the United Kingdom.
