Maybe you've heard of our Walk + Bike to School Challenge Month, but did you know how well this first-ever event of its kind is going?

As Roseway Heights School site organizer said, "the biggest 'challenge' is having enough bike racks!"
Portland elementary (and a few preschool and middle school) students are proving to be quite the challengers to Portland State University students during May’s Walk + Bike to School Challenge Month. The month-long event, a friendly competition between 30 registered Portland area schools and PSU students to see who can walk and bike to school the most, entered its third week yesterday.

The 30 schools have registered more than 4,000 students over 10% of which are first-time walking or biking commuters. Parents, faculty, and administrators volunteer to run the challenge at their school.

With an enrollment of 343 students, Lewis Elementary in Southeast Portland has consistently had 120-140 students walking or biking to school each day. They’ve even fostered an in-school class-by-class competition, including staff members as competitors in their own class against the students.

Beach Elementary site organizer Laurie Paulsen says that peer pressure in the kindergarten class has encouraged many families to try out bike commuting for the first time. Several families purchased bike trailers and are now hooked on bike commuting. Paulsen says “A first time biking mom said that now that she gets her exercise hauling two kids three miles to school, she doesn't need to find time to run, which makes her feel like she has more time.” One Beach Elementary father, who bought a bike trailer after his daughter begged him to bike the 2.5 mile trip to school, said "It only takes me three minutes longer to bike.”

The final celebration, raffle, and awards ceremony will be at the PSU Park Blocks on Sunday, June 8th, from 10AM to 1PM.

In addition to raffle prizes, food, and finding out the winners, here's the fun things to come:

-Magpie Messenger Collective's Alley Kitten race, a wacky short checkpoint bike race

-Square Dancing with the Greasy Chain String Band

-Chain Reaction, Portland's all-male bicycle dance troupe

-Bike Report Card, get your bike graded for safety

Invite your school community and walk or bike on down- we'll have a blast. We're still looking for volunteers. Contact lillian@bta4bikes.org to help out!

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