May is National Bike to School Month, and Orange Glen Elementary School in Escondido celebrated with a school-wide bike ride, with help from Escondido Education COMPACT. Mr. Ausby, the principal, led parents and students on the ride, starting from a nearby Vons parking lot to Orange Glen Elementary, a distance of little more than a half mile. Students and parents gathered at 7 am at the Vons to receive their Bike to School Day stickers and bike pins. After checking bikes and helmets, the students were ready to ride to school. The school’s physical education teacher was there to help guide families safely to their destination. The schools’ family liaison, with the support of Escondido Education COMPACT’s Safe Routes to School coordinator, organized the event and Escondido Education COMPACT donated bikes and helmets to be raffled off to students. The intent of the bike ride was to encourage families to stay active by riding their bikes and scooters to school.

The bike ride had an amazing turnout of approximately 100 students, parents, and staff.  “This is the largest bicycle turnout for any bike to school event in Escondido,” said Mary Peña, Escondido Education COMPACT’s Safe Routes to School Coordinator. The school had never participated in an event with this many participants, and school staff were very pleased with the turnout and the positive feedback they received from parents. Many parents were encouraged to take their children for more consistent bike rides and to ride to school using their bikes and scooters as an easy  way of staying active.