FOLEY — On Oct. 2, Florence B. Mathis Elementary School students took part in the nationally recognized “Walk and Roll to School Day” by walking to school together alongside parents, guardians and school staff members.

Principal Shannon McCurdy said this is a great event for kids and parents to come together as a local community. She mentioned that everyone knows the phrase often heard from parents and guardians, “Back in my day, I had to walk to school!” and that now “we can all walk together.”

The elementary students gathered a few blocks down the street from the school building before walking on the sidewalk toward the school.

According to the website for the event, Walk and Roll to School Day started in 1997 with the goal of “building awareness for the need for walkable communities,” especially emphasizing safe routes to and from schools. Walk and Roll to School Day was modeled after a similar event in the U.K. and is practiced in Canada.

In 2006, October was considered the international Walk to School Month where countries decide a day, week or month to encourage students to walk or roll bicycles to school. National Walk to School Day is recognized on the first Wednesday in the month of October.

Julene Williams said this was the first year she and her husband have walked to school with their grandkids. She recalled walking to school herself on the same path the students took on Oct. 2. She remembers when “there was no pavement” and the Mathis Elementary School location was Aaronville High School, which she attended.

Julene’s husband, Robin Williams, remarked how “wonderful” it was to walk to the school building with students from the entire community, as “once upon a time" when they were children, schools were racially segregated.

Mathis Elementary students could hardly contain their excitement as many held up an enthusiastic thumbs up in their march to school. The walk was led by McCurdy, and even the Mathis Elementary Lion mascot walked alongside students, parents, guardians, teachers and school staff members.