On a normal school day, the Yorkton Regional High School parking lot is filled to the brim with cars. On Walk and Roll Day (Jun. 6), the goal is to empty out that lot and get students to the school using foot-power. The idea is to improve the health of students and staff, getting them both more active and emitting less emissions from their vehicles.
That initiative has gone far beyond the hallways of YRHS. The Province of Saskatchewan has declared Jun. 6 to be Walk and Roll Day in the province.
Aly Serray, student at YRHS, said it’s cool to have the entire province involved in the project. She says that doing a community project is exciting for her.
Even the bus drivers are part of the programmer, dropping kids off further away from school in order to get them to be more active. They want to see an empty lot, explained Serray.
“I always wonder, how many people will walk or ride their bike instead of drive? We plan to have the parking lot empty.”
If anyone wants to park at YRHS, students or teachers, they have to pay a fee. All money raised goes to KidSport, which fits with the goal of the program, getting people more active in the community.
Serray hopes this program goes beyond the borders of the province. She believes it’s great to get the school together as part of a common cause, and the health benefits of physical activity aren’t just there for high school students, but everyone.
