On Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018, thousands of students in Kane County will take part in Walk to School Day — a catalyst for encouraging physical activity and good health.

Last year, 82 schools throughout Kane County saw an estimated 20,000 students walking, biking, or participating in school activities. Kane County was the No. 1 county in all of Illinois for highest participation!

International Walk to School Day is an annual global event involving communities from more than 40 countries walking or biking to school on the same day. In the United States, Walk to School Day is expected to include more than 5,600 events across all 50 states.

As a local host of Walk to School Day for the ninth year, Making Kane County Fit for Kids invites Kane County elementary and middle schools to participate and provides funding to PTOs or schools to implement walks or additional healthy initiatives.

Walking to school incorporates the regular physical activity children need daily while igniting a routine culture of healthy habits at school and home.

Making Kane County Fit for Kids goal to reduce Childhood Obesity includes guiding efforts on the local level through countywide mobilization.

Fit for Kids strategies affect all of Kane County children, families, and communities. A Making Kane County Fit for Kids Board leads and funds these efforts and includes United Way of Elgin, Fox Valley United Way, Rush Copley Foundation, Kane County Health Department, Kane County Division of Transportation and Northwestern Medicine.

“Working with schools to create environments that support healthy behavior is proven to not only make kids healthier, but it also helps them become better learners,” said Heidi Files, Making Kane County Fit for Kids Board Chair.

Sponsor Involvement

A strong countywide group of sponsors supported Walk to School Day 2018.

Making Kane County Fit for Kids applauds Title Sponsor – ALDI, one of America’s favorite and fastest-growing grocery stores. Supporting this initiative builds on the Batavia-based company’s commitment to helping children and families live healthy lives, especially given their recently expanded offering of fresh, organic, and healthy food.

“At ALDI, we believe all kids deserve access to resources that encourage healthy living,” said Laura Branneman, ALDI Divisional Vice President. “We are proud to work towards that goal in partnership with Making Kane County Fit for Kids”.

Equally important, we thank our additional Sponsors who multiplied Walk to School Day 2018’s impact! Silver Sponsors: Shodeen Family Foundation, city of Elgin, and city of Aurora. Bronze Sponsors: Advocate Sherman Hospital, Presence Health, Aurora Rotary, Batavia Rotary, Elgin Noon Rotary, and Geneva Rotary.

For all Kane county elementary or middle schools, there is still time to sign up for Walk to School Day! Register at www.makingkanefitforkids.org. 

About Making Kane County Fit for Kids

A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes community based initiatives of healthy eating and active living to reduce Childhood Obesity.

Making Kane County Fit for Kids collaborates with community organizations, schools, municipalities, and other partners by funding implementation projects that support the Fit Kids 2020 Plan, a blueprint to create a Kane County that is “Fit for Kids”. Strategic Action Principles affect all Kane children and families with particular attention to children most vulnerable and disproportionately affected.

To date, Making Kane County Fit for Kids has supported more than 100 projects, such as community gardens, bike racks, refrigerators at food pantries, nutrition workshops, Link Card accessibility at farmers markets, safe route education, demonstration wellness kitchens, heart rate monitors and salad bars at schools, playground equipment, and hosting 9 annual International Walk to School Day events. For more information, visit makingkanefitforkids.org

About ALDI U.S.

A leader in the grocery retailing industry since 1976, ALDI operates more than 1,800 U.S. stores in 35 states.

More than 40 million customers each month benefit from the simple, streamlined approach ALDI brings to retailing. ALDI sells frequently purchased grocery and household items, primarily under its exclusive brands, which meet or exceed national name brands on taste and quality.

ALDI has been one of America’s favorite grocery retailers, and for the eighth consecutive year, the Value Leader for grocery shoppers, according to a 2018 survey of U.S. consumers by Market Force Information®.* ALDI also backs up its products with a Twice as Nice Guarantee: replacing the product AND offering a full refund. For more information about ALDI, visit aldi.us.

*According to annual surveys of U.S. consumers conducted from 2011 to 2018 by Market Force Information®

SOURCE: Kane County Fit For Kids news release