Walk to School Day, Oct. 7, was supposed to be a big international event with people in thousands of communities coming together while educating children and others about the benefits of walking.
However, with many local schools still closed due to the pandemic, students weren’t able to participate.
Now the city of Pasadena, Day One, and Pasadena Safe Routes are teaming up to offer a month of exercise options to make up for the lost Walk to School Day, starting with a virtual 5K on Friday, Oct. 9.
Through both virtual and nonvirtual events during the month, Day One and the other partners aim to provide safer, low-risk recreational activities for students and families that are still intended to get heart rates up and bodies moving.
Participants also get a chance to win prizes.
The DO Walk Virtual 5K Kick-Off on Friday begins a week-long event in which people can get active via Zoom and Livestream. Once registered, participants can complete the 5K by walking or running that distance at any time throughout the week.
To get in the spirit, participants can download a customized, printable race bib from the DO Walk Month website. Upon completing the 5K, participants are encouraged to share a picture of their accomplishment using #DOWALKmonth and tag @pasadenasaferoutes.
Between 3 and 7 p.m. Thursday, October 15, swing by Day One at 175 N Euclid Ave. to receive a commemorative ribbon and swag bag to celebrate your accomplishment.
To sign up for Virtual 5K, click this link.
For DO Walk Fridays with a spooky twist, Day One will be holding weekly self-guided, physically distanced neighborhood walks for high school students and families in small household groups of up to five persons. From 5 to 6 p.m. walking groups will be led weekly by Day One, with staff managing groups at a physical distance.
DO Walk Fridays start with a Nature Walk along the Arroyo Seco on Friday, Oct. 16, followed by a Chalk Walk on Oct. 23, and a Spooky Walk on Oct. 30.
To register, click this link.
Oct. 19-22 is Go Human Sign Selfie Week when signs will be placed along the Safe Routes to School (SRTS). PUSD students and their families can share a picture of themselves with these signs at any point throughout the week for a chance at a prize.
Day One will soon be publishing SRTS maps on the DO Walk Month website.
As a way to educate more SRTS parents and students on bike safety and the rules of the road, Day One will hold a Bicycle Traffic Garden Expo on Oct. 24. Traffic gardens give parents and cycling instructors safe places to teach people of all ages the basics of riding a bike. This event can be enjoyed by appointment only at a SRTS selected site, to be announced later.
To sign up, visit this link.
Oct. 28 is Bike Anywhere Day There are no designated times or routes. Just ride your own way, have fun, and share it.
To pledge for Bike Anywhere Day click here.
Throughout the month, the Walktober Mile-a-Day Challenge is on. Just share a picture of a mile-a-day walk for this month-long challenge, tag @pasadenacsc, and use #walktoberpasadena anytime between now and Oct. 31 for a chance to win a prize in a weekly drawing and be entered for a chance at the grand prize.
Email your picture to walktober@pasadenacsc.org.
For more detailed information, visit the DO Walk Month website, www.godayone.org/dowalkmonth.
