Green Tree Students Participate in Walk to School Event

fifth grader Megan Reiter looks forward to this day every year.

“I’m always excited for Walk to School Day, because I get to be with my friends, and the food is great, and we all get to walk to school together," she said.

For the third consecutive year, 's Green Tree Elementary joined schools from around the world to celebrate International Walk to School Day. More than 250 students from Green Tree walked to school Oct. 5 along with parents, teachers, staff members, and Lake Saint Louis Police Officers.

The event began with a light breakfast at Boulevard Park made possible by donations from and . Other special activities included a visit from the SafeKids St. Louis Coalition and FedEx volunteers who distributed information about pedestrian and bicycle safety.

“It’s turned into a really nice event for our families and the community,” said Community Resource Officer Susan Ochs of the Lake St. Louis Police Department. “We get together and have a nice safe walk to school, and encourage safety and healthy lifestyles.”

Now in its 14th year, International Walk to School Day is celebrated at over 3,500 participating schools in 40 countries around the world. Walk to School events work to create safer routes for walking and bicycling and emphasize the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion, concern for the environment and building connections between families, schools and the broader community.

The Green Tree event was originally organized three years ago by Officer Ochs, the school, and the Lake Saint Louis Police Department as part of a “Safe Routes to School” grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation.