Crime & Safety

Lake Forest Families Brave Rain For 'Walk to School Day'

La Madera Elementary School teamed up with Lake Forest police Wednesday morning to celebrate International Walk to School Day.

would have deterred the less determined, but Lake Forest families simply armed themselves with umbrellas and windbreakers and marched off to school anyway.

Parents and children from made a point of making the cold trek Wednesday morning as part of a schoolwide event encouraging the practice, in line with International Walk to School Day.

Parent Linda Vos, said she and her 9-year-old twins "never" get to walk to school, making the day a special treat for her girls.

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"It's nice to be outside," she said. "It's exciting for them to walk to school."

The school teamed up with , which sent out representatives to help families learn how to make walking to school both enjoyable and safe.

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When parents and students walk to school, they reduce traffic congestion and pollution, said Aubrey Deitrich, a Lake Forest community service officer who organized the event. 

The exercise, even from a short walk, is another benefit, said sheriff's deputy Rich Nelson.

Third-grader Claire Ongais got the chance to get in a short walk Wednesday with her mother, Molly Binks, who said she knows the benefit of regular walks. Binks is part of a group of mothers who walk together each day after school begins.

For children who walk or bike to school, learning how to stay safe is paramount, said parent Rita Kandel.

"We've walked to school for nine years," she said.

Her 10-year-old son recently started riding his bike to school—but not before learning how to deal with strangers (stay away), crosswalks (walk the bike) and helmets (wear one!).

Her son and 8-year-old daughter both decorated posters for Walk to School Day with safety tips.

To mark the day, parent Gina Erickson invited some other La Madera parents and children to gather at her house, then shepherded her daughter, 9-year-old Carly, and three other girls to school Wednesday.

It was just another day, however, for Sandy Pratt, who strolled to La Madera with her son, 6-year-old Jacob Pratt.

"We always walk," she said. "It's quicker to walk than to drive."


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