FAIRFAX, Va. — Drop-off time at schools is usually filled with traffic jams and cars lined up around the block. But every Wednesday at Wolftrap Elementary school, students and parents leave the cars at home and opt to walk to school instead.
"Walking Wednesday" is a tradition organized by parents at this Vienna school that's been happening for almost 15 yearrs. On any given Wednesday, you'll find parents, kids and even dogs walking to school. Music plays in the background as kids get ready to start their school day.
On the way to class, there's a table set up for students to sign their names to show that they participated. They also receive a charm to put on their backpacks. The class with the most students participating gets to have an encased golden sneaker in their classroom.
Parents say it's a great way to network and it's beneficial to health.
Ellen Williams, a parent at the school, said Walking Wednesday is a step in the right direction for her family.
"We're a military family. We moved here a couple of years ago, and we walk every day," Williams said. "They have coffee for the parents, which we love. It's just been a wonderful way to get us out, get us moving, get the kids motivated to get out the door, and we've met a lot of friends this way and really built a community faster than we normally do."
Aside from the social benefits, there are also health and environmental benefits. Doctors at Johns Hopkins said that walking to school promotes physical activity.
"Childhood obesity is on the rise, and one of the main reasons is the decreasing amount of exercise children are getting," said Dr. Joseph Perno, vice president of medical affairs at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital. "Walking to school has been replaced with car rides, after-school outdoor activities have been replaced with video games. Walking to and from school is a great way to guarantee some physical activity five days per week."
Walking to school also reduces emissions from tailpipes contributing to lower air pollution.