Students hit the sidewalks for Walk to School Day

MARQUETTE — Middle schoolers in Marquette got a little bit of extra exercise Wednesday morning.

To celebrate National Walk to School Day, Bothwell Middle School students put their feet to the streets to make their way to class. Nationally, the day has been observed for twenty years, and Bothwell — which was part of a Safe Routes to School grant initiative that paid for sidewalks leading up to the school — has been participating for a number of those years.

“National Walk to School Day is something that we’ve been part of and continue to want to be part of just to encourage healthy lifestyles, encourage kids to get out and get exercise,” said Assistant Principal Zack Sedgwick. “We had over a hundred students, I would say — quite a bit more than last year. It just shows that the kids are active and interested in being part of the activities at school.”

Students completing the trek were treated to water and apples, and they also got a gold card — a card that enters them into a drawing for prizes each week. Allowing students to earn these cards is one way the school encourages positive behavior.