Santa Monica is well known for having one of the biggest and baddest Walk/Bike/Scoot/Bus to school days in the country with its uniquely branded Bike It! Walk It! Bus It! Week held in early October. One facet of the event is the competition for the cherished “Golden Sneaker” award given to the school with the most participation.
This year Grant Elementary reached a 93% participation rate and will be bringing the Golden Sneaker back to the Gecko community. This means that only one of every thirteen kids arrived at school in a car during the week, an impressive feat even in the tight-knit Grant Community.
“Competition breeds creativity and local schools pulled out all the stops to win the coveted Golden Sneaker award,” reads an announcement from the School District.
Across the district, 2,841 students participated in 9 Santa Monica Schools. The Big Blue Bus supports the program, by offering free rides to students throughout the week. Several schools worked with SaMoDOT and SMPD to host successful block parties, and the Franklin Elementary community continued to support a successful “bike train” for students and families biking to school.
SMMUSD’s Board of Education will be highlighting the success of this program and recognizing Grant Elementary with the Golden Sneaker at their November 7th meeting. Congratulations to the entire SMMUSD community for one of, if not the most, expansive Bike It! Walk It! Bus It! Weeks since the event was started by the Samohi Solar Alliance in 2007.
