The Student Neighborhood Access Program, or SNAP, is committed to promoting safe walking and biking habits for Utah’s elementary and middle school age children. Every year, SNAP holds a competition that encourages Utah students to walk and bike to school instead of being dropped off by a parent.
The fifth annual Walk More in Four challenge, held every September, was once again successful in encouraging Utah students to walk and bike safety to school. The WMIF challenge awarded 600 prizes to students all across the state who walked or biked at least three days a week during the four weeks of September. Prizes included bikes, scooters, helmets and more.
At this year’s WMIF kickoff event at Dilworth Elementary in Salt Lake City, UDOT Executive Director Carlos Braceras spoke to students, parents and teachers about the importance of safe walking and biking practices.
New to the challenge this year were online progress charts. Students and parents could log on to the WMIF website and track their walking and biking progress. The online progress charts allowed SNAP to collect more accurate information about the students who participated, as well as provided a paper-free way to turn in charts. More than 45 percent of students who participated in this year’s challenge took advantage of the online progress chart and SNAP hopes to see even more use the online charts next year.
This year the WMIF challenge had a record 160 schools participate in the challenge, and a record $8,500 was collected in donations from Walmart locations across the state.
And check out these lucky winners.
Daisey Allen, a student at Kanab Elementary in Kanab, Utah, showing off her new bike and helmet.
UDOT School and Pedestrian Safety Program Manager Cherissa Wood poses for a picture with scooter winner Arianna Kerr and bike winner Holden Anderson at Middle Canyon Elementary School in Tooele, Utah.
Bates Elementary kindergarten student Brock Berry smiles with his scooter and helmet in his classroom.
This guest post was written by UDOT School and Pedestrian Safety Program Manager Cherissa Wood.