St. Mary, Middletown Police and more help Pearl Buck students celebrate International Walk to School Day
By Samantha Bambino
The Times
In today’s ever-growing health-conscious world, it’s not uncommon to encourage kids to put down the video game controller and head outside for some exercise. It doesn’t have to be anything strenuous. Just walking to school gets the blood flowing and heart pumping.
But in many parts of Bucks County, where spacious roadways and busy intersections outnumber sidewalks, this is easier said than done.
“Where we live, it’s harder than you think, honestly,” said Kim Everett, trauma prevention coordinator at St. Mary Medical Center. “Most of the districts discourage walking to school.”
Every day in the United States, more than 40 children are hit by a car. That equates to more than 15,000 each year. But some students simply have no other option than to walk. For these kids, St. Mary, along with a slew of local organizations, is making sure they don’t become another statistic by preparing them for potential hazards encountered on their morning stroll.
On Wednesday, Oct. 10, which is widely known as International Walk to School Day, the Langhorne-based hospital partnered with Safe Kids Bucks County, FedEx, AAA Mid-Atlantic and Middletown Township Police to escort a number of young Levittown residents to Pearl Buck Elementary School, 143 Top Road.
At 8:15 a.m. on the warm, foggy morning, representatives from each organization divided into two groups, one led by Everett, the other by Shane Ryan, St. Mary’s first-ever community traffic safety liaison. Each would meet a group of students at a designated corner and accompany them to school while pointing out stop signs, protruding tree roots and more.
The Times tagged along with Everett, whose tiny team was winded after just a few blocks. In her opinion, the students who make that trek every day certainly deserve some credit. According to Everett, this is the second year Safe Kids Bucks County, which is led by St. Mary’s Trauma Department, applied for a grant from Safe Kids Worldwide to host a Walk to School Day event.
Last year, pedestrian safety was practiced at Ferderbar Elementary in Feasterville-Trevose, a school Everett said had significant issues because of its high-traffic location.
Though the grant isn’t huge, it helps provide vital educational materials. For example, Pearl Buck kindergarteners received a Clifford the Big Red Dog book about how to cross the street, while all students were gifted with glow-in-the-dark snap bracelets to wear while trick-or-treating on Halloween.
After a brisk 10-minute journey, the group met a handful of students, parents and teachers excited to learn how to walk to school safely. The kids gathered around Everett, who only added to their energy when she asked who planned to go trick-or-treating.
As tiny hands were raised all around her, Everett explained, “If we’re going to go out trick-or-treating this year, then you need to make sure you do a lot of this stuff. You can’t be darting across the street. We have to cross at the crosswalks or corners. We have to look both ways.”
Two students volunteered to lead the group while a Middletown officer trailed nearby on his motorcycle. While walking, Everett shared tips with the kids on how to stay safe while walking. Her advice included not throwing a ball around since it could fly into the street, avoiding the distraction of cell phones, and keeping an eye out for tripping hazards such as tree roots and uneven sidewalks.
The children quickly began following Everett’s lead, with one kindergartener exclaiming, “Stop! Look both ways, I see a car!” at an intersection. As they neared Pearl Buck, Ryan’s group coming from the other direction, the dozens of Walk to School Day participants were greeted by a crossing guard, who showed them how to wait for his signal before venturing across the street.
Once they were settled inside, the students enjoyed presentations by St. Mary’s trauma prevention team and AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Otto the Auto, a talking robot car.
In the spring, Everett hopes to have Pearl Buck participate in a walkability study, which Safe Kids Bucks County has previously distributed to area schools. With the help of their parents, students are tasked with identifying various safety features in their community. Are the street lights working at night? Are all of the corners handicap accessible?
The class that completes most walkability sheets receives a pizza party, and the results are then taken directly to their township supervisor, who is able to view the feedback and see what needs to be addressed.
Visit stmaryhealthcare.org/safekids for more on Safe Kids Bucks County. ••
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
