Declaring October 4, 2001 "International Walk to School Day".

WHEREAS, In 1997, the Partnership for a Walkable America sponsored the first National Walk Our Children to School Day in Chicago. By the year 2000, children, parents, teachers and community leaders in 47 states joined 2 million walkers around the world to celebrate the first International Walk to School Day; and,

WHEREAS, Children are some of the most vulnerable users of our streets. Even though children under 15 represent only 15% of the population, they make up 30% of pedestrian. Each year, an estimated 5,700 pedestrians are killed-one out of seven of those are children; and

WHEREAS, Many communities walk to show adults and children how easy and enjoyable the world’s simplest exercise can be. Research shows that physically inactive kids are more likely to grow up to be physically inactive adults-and are at a higher risk for obesity and other related health problems; and

WHEREAS, International Walk to School Day’s aim is to effect permanent change in communities across the globe by encouraging physical fitness and raising awareness of how walkable a community is and where improvements can be made; and

WHEREAS, Walking is one of the few forms of transportation that gets individuals where they’re going and contributes to the daily physical activity that we all need. In celebration of International Walk to School Day, the School District of Philadelphia, in partnership with the Health and Fitness Czar, will have community leaders, elected officials, school board representatives, the principal and staff of Jay Cooke Middle School join students at different locations to walk them to school and their respective classes; and

WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Walk to School Day event will serve to launch “Don’t Quit Centers” that will seek, in furtherance of the desire to make Philadelphia the healthiest city in the nation, to expand the environments of fun learning and activity that currently exist within seven middle schools; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby declare October 4, 2001 as International Walk to School Day.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Gwen Foster, Health and Fitness Czar, as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.

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