Walk-Ride Day on September 24
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Mayor Curtatone was among parents who arrived on foot to the Kennedy School on Walk/Ride Day, with his sons Cosmo (left) and Joe.

By Elizabeth Sheeran

Residents of all ages recently took steps to make Somerville a greener, safer and healthier place – many steps, in fact.

In honor of Somerville’s monthly Walk/Ride Day on Friday, September 24, commuters parked their cars at home and students headed off to school on foot or by bike.

“There are probably ten times as many bikes here as there usually are,” said Kevin Patton-Hock, whose sons Mao and Chet rode their bikes to the John F. Kennedy School.

“I like to ride to school because it’s quicker,” said fifth-grader Mao Patton-Hock.

Hundreds of participants registered on line to take advantage of prizes and local business discounts offered to supporters who walk or bike to work or school on the last Friday of each month. Walkers and bikers wore green to show their support for going green, and Somerville public school students received green hand stamps to commemorate the day.

“I’m a strong proponent of ‘no child left inside,’” said Jen Capuano, whose two children attend the Arthur D. Healey School. “Study after study shows that kids who get even 10 or 15 minutes of outdoor activity each day can focus better and do better in school. I see it in my own kids.”

David Zraket, Max Nadeau, Dylan Zraket, Charlie Nadeau, Henry Shugrue, Maccabee Shugrue and Kelle Shugrue. - Photo by Elizabeth Sheeran

Capuano leads a “walking school bus” on Walk/Ride days, accompanying students on foot to the Healey School from the Spring Hill neighborhood. The route collects up to a dozen children by the time it meets up with other walking groups on Central Street, but Capuano would like to see even more students get into the habit of walking or biking to school.

Nicole Rioles of Shape Up Somerville said parent volunteers like Capuano are a big help in promoting the goals of Walk/Ride days among local children and their families. Shape Up Somerville organizes the monthly event as part of its ongoing effort to promote healthy habits among all community members, in partnership with the Green Streets Initiative, which aims to make city streets safer and more welcoming for pedestrians and cyclists.

“The event gets kids excited about walking to school and realizing that they can have a fun, active experience in the morning before they get to school,” said Rioles.

The City also promoted the September Walk/Ride Day as a fitting way to recognize National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, “as a time to promote healthy choices to all our children and families,” said Shape Up Somerville Director Jaime Corliss.

One in three American children is overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Prevention, and Children’s Hospital Boston reports that the rate of childhood obesity has more than doubled in the past 25 years.

“We have a long way to go to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity,” said Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone. “Remember, every little bit counts.  If you are unable to walk or bike to work, park the car a little further away than usual and walk,” said the Mayor, who parked his own car a short distance away to walk his sons to class at the Kennedy School on September 24.

Curtatone said September is singled out each year to raise obesity awareness, but the issue of childhood obesity demands year-round attention. “Here in Somerville we are committed to that goal each and every day,” he said.

Somerville’s next monthly Walk/Ride Day will be on Friday, October 29. Want to get involved and to register for prizes and discounts? Sign on to www.gogreenstreets.org.