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Community Corner

Elementary Schools Receive Awards For Bike/Walk Challenge

Cunningham Park, Vienna, Wolftrap Elementary win different categories in week-long competition; donor gives trophy to rotate among schools

There’s an age-old adage about teaching a man to fish and he’ll live a lifetime. 

Well, the same goes for encouraging a child to walk or bike to school. 

A challenge to both students and parents to go "old school" and ditch their cars when traveling to class,  as well as a challenge between the three schools helping to lead the Safe Routes to School charge in FCPS and Fairfax County. 

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More than 2,500 students walked or biked to school last week: Vienna had almost 600, Cunningham Park just over 900 and Wolftrap had more than 1,000.   

The turnout calls for some recognition. So without further ado, the envelope please: 

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Cunningham Park - Winner Best Turnout (most trips relative to size of school population).  CPES has a very large population of walkers and they walk a lot.  

Vienna - Winner Best Participation (most trips relative to size of walking population).  VES' population is about 10 percent less than the student body at CPES or WTES, but they got those kids walking and ran their first bike train.  

Wolftrap - Winner Biking Turnout (most bike trips relative to school population).  With a bike train everyday last week, biking to Wolftrap is part of the culture.  

Cunningham Park - Overall challenge winner (based on a weighted average of turnout and participation). 

It was a very close race, with the second place school needing only 11 more trips to win the challenge and the third place school needing only 14 more trips to win the challenge.


And word has it a Stanley Cup like trophy is in the works.....that will be presented to each year's overall champion. 


Some fun facts:

  • 401 biking trips to school over five days
  • 2108 walking trips to school over five days
  • 2519 trips walking or biking to school over five days
  • There was a Giant Cardinal in front of Cunningham Park
  • Kids were on the W&OD riding to school...go figure!
  • And a potential future Tour de France winner was on Wolfie's Bike Train.

And as for my adage: Even without a bike train or walking bus or special guest or challenge between three Vienna elementary schools,  the number of kids  still walking to school this past week, as well as more than 30 bikes a day in the racks at bike-crazy Wolftrap, is an indication that kids really enjoy the 15 minutes or so before their day begins.

With only 16 days of school left and summer weather having arrived, it’s time to enjoy the cool mornings in your sneakers or on some wheels.

Jeff Anderson is the Safe Routes To School coordinator for Wolftrap Elementary School.

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