By Mary O’KEEFE

On Wednesday umbrellas lined the streets that led to local schools. The weather was not the sunny California norm, but that did not deter the kids, parents and school staff from walking to school.

Oct. 5 was Walk to School Day so kids, and adults, pulled on their rain boots and started walking.

“I knew it was going to be raining,” said Lincoln Elementary student Tait Loftus. “Thank [goodness] for the Internet.”

Tait had been watching the weather report via the Internet weather service, so when it came time to walk, he was ready.

Students at Lincoln, Fremont, Mountain Avenue, Monte Vista, Dunsmore and Valley View elementary schools all participated in Walking to School Day.

Walk to School Day began 14 years ago when communities around the nation kept their cars parked and took to the streets to walk. Now International Walk to School Month has over 40 countries participating keeping in sight this single healthy goal.

The movement began in Chicago and was modeled after the United Kingdom’s walk to school event, according to the organization’s website www.walktoschool.org. In 2010, over 3,500 Walk to School events registered on the organization’s website.

In Glendale portions of Crescenta Valley, Glendale police were on hand to make certain the students’ walk was safe.

  Mary Okeefe