October is International Walk to School Month and, on October 7th, I had the delightful mission of walking with students and their parents from Hammock Park to San Jose Elementary School on San Mateo Drive.

Also participating in the walk, and promoting health and safety, were Deputy Jan Wagner of the Sheriff’s Department, Deputy Fire Marshall Kelly Intzes of the City of Dunedin and the City’s Sustainability Coordinator, Valerie Lane.

“Just getting together with children and going for a walk to school as a special event is important and fun” said Vice-Mayor Scales.  “However,” she added, “the event has other very important goals.”  Among those goals are:

•  Encouraging physical activity by teaching children the skills to walk safely, how to identify safe routes to school, and the benefits of walking
•  Raising awareness of how walkable a community is and where improvements can be made
•  Raising concern for the environment
•   Reducing crime and taking back neighborhoods for people on foot
•  Reducing traffic congestion, pollution, and speeding near schools
•  Sharing valuable time with local community leaders, parents, and children