Pirates Help Walk Kids To School
October 14, 2009 | Men's Basketball
Oct. 14, 2009
GREENVILLE, N.C. --- Members of the East Carolina men's basketball team, along with representatives from the Pirates' men's golf, cross country, softball, swimming and diving, soccer and baseball teams, participated in the International Walk To School Day on Wednesday, Oct. 7.
More than two dozens ECU student-athletes participated in the celebration at C.M. Eppes Middle School. Walk To School Day is aimed at bringing forth permanent change to encourage a more walkable America - one community at a time.
"I first heard about the walk when a couple of my teammates participated two years ago," said Greyson Sargent, a senior on the ECU men's basketball team. "I think it's important the community make a concentrated effort to make school zones safer for students, parents, and faculty, especially those schools close to the university.
"Walking and biking have more to offer than just health benefits. When one chooses exercise over driving, they not only save money, but also decrease their ecological footprint. In times such as these when financial and environmental issues are always in the news, walking and biking could have multiple positive impacts."
In 1997, the Partnership for a Walkable America sponsored the first National Walk Our Children to School Day in Chicago. By the year 2002, children, parents, teachers and community leaders in all 50 states joined nearly three million walkers around the world to celebrate the second annual International Walk to School Day.
Last year, the International Walk to School Month brought together more than 40 countries in recognition of the common interest in walking to school.
