Connecticut Department of Transportation

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
NEWS RELEASE
2800 BERLIN TURNPIKE P.O. BOX 317546
NEWINGTON CONNECTICUT, 06131-7456
FOR RELEASE: May 25, 2011
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
TELEPHONE: (860) 594-3062
FAX: (860) 594-3065
WEB SITE: www.ct.gov/dot
Governor Dannel P. Malloy Proclaims May 26th “Walk it Bike It to School Day”
Governor Dannel Malloy has officially proclaimed May 26, 2011 as “Walk It Bike It to School Day” to encourage all citizens to consider the safety and health of Connecticut’s children. 
The proclamation states, “Children may be safer and more active if communities took steps to make pedestrian safety and bike safety a priority.” The official proclamation also states, “Children, parents, and community leaders around Connecticut should join together to walk to school and evaluate walking and biking conditions in their communities.”
“We are so pleased that Governor Malloy has proclaimed May 26th Walk It Bike It to School Day,” said Connecticut’s Safe Routes to School Coordinator, Sharon Okoye. “Community members and leaders should use this day as a first step in getting involved to make walking and biking to school a safe mode of transportation for our children.”
Connecticut classrooms have been doing their part to increase awareness of walking and biking to school by participating in the Walk It Bike It to School Connecticut! Contest, which began on International Walk to School Day, October 6, 2010.  The contest, sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School Program, challenges kindergarten to eighth grade classrooms to log the most mileage walked and/or biked to school.  Twenty classroom teams have been logging their miles online at www.walkitbikeitct.org until the contest ended on April 15, 2011. 
As a result, the winning classroom team, Sixth Grade Eagles of Moylan School in Hartford, logged in mileage equivalent of over six times the distance around the state of Connecticut, 2,365 miles. Moylan School’s Steele Stringers, took second place with 1,616 miles and Ridge Road Elementary School’s, T-25’s, in North Haven came in third place with 1,524 miles.  Two other teams from Ridge Road Elementary School logged over 1,000 miles, earning honors as the 1,000 mile club.

All top winning classroom teams will be honored with a ceremonial walk up the Capitol steps on Wednesday, May 26, 2011 at 10 am, and will be presented with prizes. Stretching and healthy eating demonstrations will be conducted by contest supporters as well.

For additional event information, contact Meghan Burns at meghan.burns@adamsknight.com  or 860-676-2300 x133. General information on the Safe Routes to School program is available at the Connecticut SRTS website: www.ctsaferoutes.org .  For additional program information, contact Sharon Okoye at Sharon.okoye@ct.gov or 860-594-2367.