HMS KAYS to host "Bike To School Day"

On Tuesday morning, May 12, school-age children in Holton are invited to ride their bikes, skateboards or rollerblades — or just walk — to school as part of a statewide celebration of “the joys of active commuting while building a sense of community, safety and school spirit,” it has been reported.

While the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program had scheduled a statewide celebration of “Bike To School Day” on Wednesday, May 6, Holton Middle School’s KAY (Kansas Association for Youth) program will host its celebration next Tuesday with a “walk/bike/roll to school day,” according to Erika Allen, KAY chapter adviser at HMS.

On that day, students are invited to meet at Fifth Street and Iowa Avenue at 7:20 a.m., before school, for doughnuts and juice, after which participants will travel together to their respective schools. The SRTS program aims to get more kids walking, biking and rolling to school, improve safety and increase health and physical activity, as well as decrease the number of families driving to school, which can reduce traffic and costs for families and improve air quality.

“Holton Middle School KAY is participating in Bike To School Day to help promote biking as a fun, healthy and sustainable way to get to school and around Holton,” Allen said. “It also draws attention to the need for transportation and safety improvements that may be needed to enable and further encourage students to bike.”

Students, families and community members can join the fun by biking to school, biking with their children on their own or with a “trail-a-bike,” biking to and from the bus stop, going for a family bike ride after school, biking with friends, learning more about biking safety by reviewing the Kansas SRTS tip sheet at saferouts.ksdot.gov or joining a “bike train.”

Holton USD 336 has recently worked with the Kansas SRTS team to create its first SRTS Plan that identifies projects and programs that support active transportation for students and their families, and participating in an encouragement event such as Bike To School Day was a recommendation of the plan, Allen said. Holton USD 336’s plan can be found at saferoutes.ksdot.gov/about-the-program#srts-plans

Any questions about the event and how to get involved should be directed to Erika Allen at e.allen@holtonks.net or Addie Larson at a.larson@holtonks.net