“Walk ’n Roll Wednesday” a fun, spirited and healthy way to start the day

If you happen to live along the path to El Marino Language Immersion Elementary School you may have noticed approximately 160 children and more than 30 adults, including school faculty and principal Tracy Pumilia, walking, skate boarding and bicycling there way to school as part of the monthly Walk ’N Roll Wednesday. Additionally, a handful of Culver City Police Officers added to the fun and excitement (and the program’s number one goal: safety).

El Marino was just awarded a grant from the California Department of Health to the tune of $4,600 to host a Bike Safety Festival on Sunday, May 6, to promote Bike to School Week. The El Mario event coincides with national Bike to School Day, which is Wednesday, May 9. The festival will feature several supervised skills stations designed to teach the kids how to properly prepare to ride and ride safely. The festival will include a bike tour around the neighborhood to demonstrate their new skills and much, much more. The event will be free and all Culver City Elementary Schools will be formally invited.

The next Walk ’N Roll Wednesday is April 11 following Spring Break and El Marino has two points of departure: US Bank on the corner of Sepulveda and Sawtelle and the Ballona Creek Bridge at Sawtelle. Everyone meets at 8:00am and the fun begins at 8:15am.

El Marino parent and the founder of the Walk ’n Rollers (www.walknrollers.org), Jim Shanman, has set a goal of getting 200 Walk ’N Rollers out each month. After a previous turnout record of 50, the March 7 Walk ’N Roll Wednesday nearly reached his goal.

Jim said, “We are excited to see how our Walk ‘n Roll Wednesday program has steadily grown in popularity. We’ve been able to show the students a fun, active way to start their day, and demonstrate to parents how easy it is to leave the car behind and join in their kids’ mornings. Together we can all make a difference in our community, by providing safer, less congested streets and getting a little exercise in the process.”