International Walk or Bike to School Day was held Oct. 2 and the Western Nebraska Community College softball team took part in the early morning festivities by walking youngsters at Westmoor Elementary in Scottsbluff to school.
International Walk or Bike to School Day is celebrated the first Wednesday of October and the Cougar softball team has been a yearly participant in walking kids to school on the October day at various elementary schools in Scottsbluff and Gering.
This year the softball team, along with the Scottsbluff football and volleyball teams, walked Westmoor Elementary students to school from various locations around the school that is located in west Scottsbluff.
Emma Glawson, a sophomore pitcher/outfielder for the Cougars, said she enjoyed taking part in the event.
"I had a lot of fun getting the opportunity to walk the kids to school," Glawson said. "I think this is a great activity to allow kids to socialize with their peers, as well as engage in physical activity. All the youngsters were super sweet, and I loved getting to know all of them."
Glawson, from Victoria, British Columbia, said that she used to walk to school all the time when she was in school.
"When I was a kid, I was kind of lucky because I lived just around the school," she said. "My mom use to walk me to school, and once I was around eight years old, I began walking by myself."
International Walk or Bike to School Day is a global event that began in 1997 as a one-day event. The event has become part of a movement for year-round safe routes to school. Today, thousands of schools across America, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, partake in the event. Next year's Walk or Bike to School Day will be Oct. 7, 2020.
Glawson said the event is more than just walking safely to school; it is making friendships.
"The best part about the day was definitely getting to meet all the little kids," she said. "They are all super energetic, kind, and talkative. I saw nothing but kindness from all the kids, and they were so fun to be around."