NORTH HAVEN -- A fourth-grade class at Ridge Road Elementary School is the first to complete the first component of the Walk It Bike It to School,
Connecticut! Contest. The class walked and biked 375 miles, the
equivalent of the perimeter of the State of Connecticut.

Mike Annino, the All Star Walkers’ teacher, logged the daily mileage
online, walked or biked to school by the team from October to
December, at http://www.walkitbikeitct.org./ The students are now competing to
log more miles than any other class by April 15, 2011.

“In its second year, the Walk It Bike It to School, Connecticut!
Contest has seen a significant increase in the number of participating
schools,” said Sharon Okoye,
Safe Routes to School coordinator. “We are hoping more schools join us
for the second phase of the contest and compete to log the most miles
overall.”

This Contest encourages all Connecticut students in grades K–8 to
participate by walking or biking to school and logging their mileage
as a classroom. Teachers can log their students’ progress online at
http://www.walkitbikeitct.org./

Classrooms are encouraged to enroll and continue logging miles in the
Contest throughout the spring. The classroom that logs the most miles
by April 15, 2011 will win the Contest. The top three participating
classrooms will be invited to a celebratory walk up the steps of the
State Capitol in Hartford in May 2011. Prizes will also be awarded.

The federally funded program Safe Routes to School (SRTS), which is
administered by Connecticut’s Department of Transportation, sponsors
the Walk It Bike It to School, Connecticut! Contest. For more
information on the Contest visit http://www.walkitbikeitct.org./  For
information on the SRTS program, please visit our website at
http://www.ctsaferoutes.org./