Fort Huachuca -- Hundreds of people from Fort Huachuca and the local area participated in the installation's second Walk and Bike Your Child to School Day Oct. 7 to encourage a more healthy community and work force.
The International Walk to School Day is a global activity that involves communities from more than 40 countries walking and biking to school on the same day. It began in 1997 as a one-day event. Over time, this event has become part of a movement for year-round safe routes to school and a celebration -- with record breaking participation, according to Fort Huachuca Operation Order 15-124.
Fort Huachuca's leadership selected Oct. 7 as the day to encourage and promote the activity with the post's children and parents, according to the post's operation order. Fort Huachuca's event was designed to help promote the Army's Performance Triad of nutrition, sleep and exercise and to encourage an active lifestyle. This activity was open to the Fort Huachuca community and the general public.
Although it was a one-day event, a number of parents understand the importance of walking and biking to school every day. There is an enormous amount of research and strong evidence that supports the positive health benefits from daily physical activity for both children and adults of any age.
Mountain Vista Communities (MVC) sponsored a breakfast during the event at the MVC Community Center. Participants received a fruit, a pastry and one applesauce or yogurt to eat on the go or on-site.
Eli Fox and Nick Staggs, both 13 and eighth-grade students at Colonel Smith Middle School, admitted they mainly came out for the breakfast as they sat and ate theirs near the entrance to the community center and watched other participants arrive.
"Turnout's been good; we've had a lot of participation," said Jolene Cooper, MVC marketing specialist, when asked about the breakfast. "People were excited leading up to this [event]. They were excited about the exercise opportunity with their Families.
"This is the first year that we've actually participated [in the Walk and Bike Your Child to School Day]," Cooper said. "We've had a good response, so this is something I think we'll participate in annually.
"I'm all for [the Walk and Bike your Child to School Day]," Cooper continued. "The housing areas are geared for it. They are designed so residents can walk and bike to work every day -- beginning right at their homes. We're close enough and with the weather as nice as it is… people should take advantage of [the weather] to get in motion every day."
Participants in the day's activities were not limited to "earthlings." They included those who came "from a galaxy far, far away," at least in their alter-life. Four Star Wars characters participated in the health-related event and were visible at crosswalks near the Fort Huachuca schools.
According to Stormtrooper Mike Alvear, retired Army, their group was invited to participate.
The 501st Legion, Dune Sea Garrison, Jundland Waste Squad, was formed by members living in the lower third of the state of Arizona. The Legion is an international group comprised of members showcasing characters such as Darth Vader, stormtroopers, biker scouts, Tusken raiders, Clone troopers and more. Members wear movie-quality costumes and participate in special, non-profit events. The Jundland Waste Squad is the local chapter.
"We participated today because [the event] was local, meant for children and local schools," said Alvear, dressed in a stormtrooper costume.
A number of installation units and organizations were involved in Walk and Bike Your Child to School Day. Audrey Sienkiewicz, health promotion officer and a Walk and Bike to School Day organizer, said she was pleased with the overall response to the day's event.
"There seemed to be a great turnout," she said. "There were smiles on a lot of the people's faces. We also had a great volunteer turnout; all the crosswalks were covered.
"It was kind of fun to see the parents out with the littlest guys, that they were taking the littlest ones with them when they dropped off their siblings at school. It was very cute that the whole Family was out there.
After the conversations I had with a few of the folks today it sounded as though they would like to do this again. I can't see why we can't," Sienkiewicz said. "We'll take what we learned this year from the survey then make the event safer, more biker friendly, and make improvements that will encourage people [to walk or bike to work] on a daily basis."
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