Approximately 520 students from Bess Maxwell and Joe Hamilton Elementary Schools will be walking and biking to school along with parents, teachers and community leaders on National Bike to School Day on Monday, May 7. Neighborhoods surrounding Bess Maxwell and Joe Hamilton Elementary Schools will be busting from 7:20 – 8:00 am with students walking or ridding their bike to school. Community leaders will be hosting “cheer squads” along the main roadways to these schools to provide encouragement and fun. Chipper and Rescue Raccoon will be on hand and prizes will be giving out prizes at the schools.

Students and community members from the across the United States will also be joining together to celebrate National Bike to School Day. Bike to School events work to create safer routes for bicycling and walking, and emphasize the importance of a range of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, cyclist and pedestrian safety, traffic congestion, concern for the environment and building connections between families, schools and the broader community.

The event is being organized by the Safe Routes to School Program, including the Del Norte Unified School District, Del Norte Local

Transportation Commission, California Highway Patrol, Del Norte County Sheriff’ s Department, Crescent City Police Department, Del Norte County Health and Human Services, the Public Health Institute and The California Endowment.

Safe Routes to School programs provide pedestrian and cycling education and events to increase the number of students walking and biking to school, in addition to State and federal funding for infrastructure improvements to enhance and provide a means for walking and biking to school, thereby increasing physical activity, reducing greenhouse gas, safe fuel and reduce

traffic congestion at and near schools. The Del Norte Safe Routes to School program is funded by a grant from the Public Health Institute through The California Endowment.

Come cheer on the walkers and bikers. Signs are available by contacting Karen Phillips at :
(707) 464-9651 or kphillips (at) psbusinesservices . com.

For more information, visit: