In celebration of Walk & Roll to School Day, Bike Walk Knoxville and the Knox County Safe Routes to School Partnership will support walking events at two Knox County elementary schools on Wednesday, October 4, 2023.

Walk & Roll to School Day is a global event that promotes the benefits of walking to school, including increased physical activity and reduced car traffic and air pollution around schools. Walking to school is also fun! Students at all elementary, middle and high schools throughout Knox County are encouraged to participate by walking to school on Wednesday, Oct. 4.

Superintendent Jon Rysewyk and Knox County Schools staff will walk to school with Beaumont Magnet Academy’s Walking School Bus. The walk will begin at the Western Heights Boys & Girls Club at 7 a.m. 

“Walk & Roll to School Day is a great opportunity for families to try a new, fun way of getting to school,” said BWK Executive Director Lindsey Kimble. “The Knox County Safe Routes to School Partnership and Bike Walk Knoxville encourage students to walk or bike to school every day where it is safe to do so, and we work to create more safe places for walking and biking in our communities.”

Students, staff and families at Sequoyah Elementary will gather at 7:00 am at Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church for a community walk to school. District 4 School Board member Katherine Bike will attend.

BWK works to make the Knoxville region a better place to bike and walk for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. BWK coordinates the Knox County Safe Routes to School Partnership, which aims to create and support walkable, bikeable, safe and healthy neighborhood environments throughout Knox County. The partnership brings together engineers, school faculty and staff, community members, nonprofits, government partners and more, working to make walking and biking an easy and safe choice of transportation for students to utilize to and from school and promote active transportation as a healthy and sustainable alternative to motorized vehicles.