Michelle Obama promotes ‘The Walking School Bus’ as part of her ‘Let’s Move’ campaign
First Lady Michelle Obama is promoting walking to school as part of her anti-obesity campaign which is being nicknamed ‘The Walking School Bus.”
In remarks to mayors gathered at the White House, the first lady singled out Knox County, Tennessee, which, inspired by Mrs. Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign, has created a bike-share program and something called a “walking school bus.”
“I’ve heard more and more of this kind of walking school bus happening all over the country — so that kids can get exercise on the way to school, kind of like we did when we were growing up,” she said.
A “walking school bus” is a group of children who walk to school with adult chaperones.
“You remember the miles of walking you did with a sweet potato in your pocket?” Obama asked a laughing audience. “We all heard that story. My mother repeated it just yesterday. And that’s what Let’s Move! is all about,” she said. “That’s what we’re really trying to do here.
“It’s about people all across this country coming together to take action to support the health of our kids,” Obama added. “We’ve seen it happen in cities, towns and rural areas across the United States.”
Studies show that fewer children are walking and biking to school, and more children are at risk of becoming overweight,” says WalkingSchoolBus.org, run by the Department of Transportation, the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center and the Partnership for a Walkable America.
Photo: http://www.clearwater-fl.com/gov/depts/parksrec/bikeways/startwalkingbus.asp
