‘Walk and Roll to School Day’ on Wednesday, Oct. 4, Will Include Special Event at Brooke Grove Elementary School in Olney

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School program, which encourages students who have a safe path and live near their elementary school to walk to school, will join in the national recognition of “Walk and Roll to School Day” on Wednesday, Oct. 4. Most County elementary schools will participate, with a special event starting at 8:15 a.m. that day at Brooke Grove Elementary School in Olney.

Brooke Grove Elementary School is located at 2700 Spartan Road in Olney.

The event in Olney will begin with a short group walk with students from two different locations at 8:15 a.m.:

• Prince Philip Drive and Spartan Drive
• Old Baltimore Road and Fort William Drive

The walking groups, led by MCDOT’s Zeal the Safety Zebra and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue’s Sparky the Fire and Rescue Dog, will meet at the front of Brooke Grove Elementary School. The event will commence with fanfare including music, balloons, giveaways, police officers, firefighters and firetrucks. Students will be singing and carrying signs.

Expected to participate are Montgomery County Councilmemberss Gabe Albornoz and Dawn Luedtke, County Vision Zero Coordinator Wade Holland, firefighters from the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, officers from the Montgomery County Police and officers from the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Park Police.

Walk and Roll to School Day is an international event that involves communities from more than 40 countries walking and biking to school on the same day. It began in 1997 as a one-day event. Over time, it has become part of a movement for year-round, safe routes to school and a celebration each October. This year, thousands of schools from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico will participate.