Friday, March 24, was Bicycle Network’s Ride2School Day with Echuca East Primary School acting as a flagship school for the organisation.
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Echuca East Primary School assistant principal Ben Hawthorn said “it was a big day” with 88 per cent of the students either walking or riding to school on that day.
“Getting everyone out and about on the day was what was important,” Mr Hawthorn said.
“To start we had a healthy breakfast at the school with yoghurt from Lactalis and pancakes.
“It was about getting our kids active.
“One of the bus drivers rang up the school asking ‘if we had a day off’ because only one child was on their bus to school.”
In the lead up to the event the students mapped the route they were going to ride or walk to school, as well as repaired and serviced their bikes.
“Bart from Dr Cranky, Bikes for Kids came out a fortnight before the day,” he said.
“He repaired and serviced 40 bikes that day and then a further 32 on the big day.”
Mr Hawthorn is seeing an improvement in students being active and walking or riding to school.
“We are getting better and better at riding and walking to school on normal school days,” he said.
“Generally we have a few kids that walk and ride to school, but nothing like it was on that day.