Fort Riley students walk to celebrate freedom, honor heroes

FORT RILEY, Kan. -- The students of Seitz Elementary School showed their pride and appreciation for the United States of America and the heroes found throughout the nation during their annual Freedom Walk Sept. 8 around the Colyer-Forsyth neighborhood.

Before the walk, 630 students of the school gathered for an assembly with a brief discussion of why they were doing the walk, recited the Pledge of Allegiance and sang multiple patriotic and school songs.

"We do it because we want to honor the heroes we're around every day," said Stephanie Sowell, kindergarten teacher at Seitz Elementary School. "We're super lucky because we're just immersed in this military culture, so we like to show appreciation and respect and honor the heroes that are around us with the families that come to Seitz and also the community around us because we like to think of ourselves as, of course, serving the families, but also serving the community members."

All of the schools within Unified School District 475 participated in the Freedom Walk on different days as their scheduling allowed, Sowell said. Seitz Elementary School has participated in it since the school opened six years ago.

Students donned red, white and blue outfits as they paraded through the neighborhood while holding handmade paper American flags, streamers, signs, windsocks and more. Parents and community members alike lined the sidewalks to watch the children march past and cheer them on. In return, the students chanted "USA, USA, USA" in unison and shouted thank-you to service members they passed. Principal Jodi Testa led the parade carrying an American flag.

But the walk was more than just signs, parading and gratitude, Sowell said. The students at Seitz have grown up in a world where 9/11 happened years before their birth, which made the walk an important lesson in history and the world today.

"It is about the sacrifices that happened on 9/11 and honoring not only those who lost their lives, but also those who fought to save and rescue people, but we also like to talk about how those were heroes on 9/11 and we still have heroes who are doing that now, so we like to connect it for our kiddos because, of course, my kiddos (her students) weren't even born, so we talk to them a little bit about that, but we also like to connect it to what is happening in our world today," she said. "Talking about 9/11 just kind of reminds them how important their parents' jobs are."

Michael Brown Jr., 10, son of Staff Sgt. Michael Brown, 258th Human Resources Company, 1st Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade, said the walk taught him about why his father joined the Army and the sacrifices made by first responders, as well as others.

"It's important (the walk) because people tried their best and stepped up like police officers, firefighters, nurses, doctors and engineers, too," he said. "My dad just joined the Army because he wanted to protect his home state of North Carolina, so he did that because he couldn't really do nothing, so he joined the Army. I just want to say like a big thank you to all the Soldiers who risked their lives just to see a smile on everyone's face."

Brown walked holding a sign of an American flag he attached to two yardsticks above his head alongside his peers. He said he and his classmates wanted to participate in the Freedom Walk to represent their school and to show that when united, the U.S. will stand.

"Even with this small of a school, if you work hard and everyone participates, you can win," he said.