Davidson town intern Matt Christian was a volunteer crossing guard at South and Cathey streets on International Walk to School Day Wednesday. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Hundreds of area schoolkids and parents joined Wednesday morning’s International Walk to School Day, in many cases breaking from a routine of daily automobile drop-offs. In the area, the event included students from Woodlawn School, Davidson Elementary School, Community School of Davidson and Cornelius Elementary School.

Students walked or rode bikes along with parents, teachers and community volunteers, including town employees and Davidson College athletes.

“Walk to School events help create safer routes for walking and bicycling and they emphasize the importance of increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion, concern for the environment, and building connections between families, schools and the broader community,” the town of Davidson said in a press release.

In Davidson, some students met at the Village Green with parents and community leaders, then strolled down South Street to Davidson Elementary

In 2011, a competition among Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools tallied participants from each school and ranked Davidson Elementary No. 2 overall. Davidson Parks & Recreation officials said no final tally was available Wednesday afternoon, but they were holding out hope for a No. 1 finish this year.

Wednesday’s event marked the first time Cornelius Elementary School participated. The school reported that about 100 students participated. Many families parked at either the Food Lion or Smithville Park, then walk to the school on Catawba Avenue.

At Community School of Davidson, Davidson Day, and Woodlawn, where most students live far from the campuses, children came to school as always do, then walked with their classes around the area of the schools, “to represent walking/biking to school,” according a town of Davidson press release.

In years past, the town of Davidson had a monthly walk to school program. Town officials said they’re trying to revive “a sustainable walking and rolling to school program.”

RELATED LINKS

Walk to School Day in the USA, www.walkbiketoschool.org

National Center for Safe Routes to School, www.saferoutesinfo.org

International Walk to School Day, www.iwalktoschool.org