Twelfth Annual Walk to School Day was a Huge Success

McKENZIE (October 1) — Elementary and middle school students, parents and teachers alike bounded down McKenzie’s city streets on Wednesday morning, participating in National Walk to School Day.

Middle school students, led by the school’s cheerleading team, walked nearly half a mile to school from McKenzie’s City Hall at 7:15 a.m. Middle school students festively wore their “house” shirts, representing a team-building initiative at McKenzie Middle School.

Other students, a mix from elementary and middle school, met at Karen Fowler’s house at 7:35 a.m. for a slightly shorter walk to school. Before leaving for school, these students enjoyed a group breakfast and were led in prayer by middle school teacher Rebecca Jones. McKenzie Mayor Ryan Griffin, members of the McKenzie school board and several of McKenzie’s first responders arrived at Fowler’s house to send students off.

McKenzie Elementary School welcomed student walkers with a little help from Bethel University’s Athletics Department. Bethel athletes lined up underneath the school’s awning to high-five students as they made their way into the school’s entrance.

Courtney Kee, McKenzie Elementary School’s Walk to School Committee leader, said the school had 369 students and 197 parents walk that morning, beating the school’s goal of 350 students. She said this was the first time she can remember beating the school’s goal since beginning the initiative in 2013. Based on this reporting, almost 72 percent of the school’s student population (511 students) walked to school.

Similarly, McKenzie Middle School had a reported total of 254 students and 21 adults walk to the middle school. This reported total is about 64 percent of the school’s student population (396 students).

The schools reported a combined total of 623 students and 218 adults who walked to school on Wednesday, October 1. This is approximately 68.7 percent of the schools’ combined student enrollment (907 students).

McKenzie’s police and fire departments escorted walkers to their respective schools, briefly blocking traffic on Stonewall Street and Bell Avenue.