Dayton children join Safe Kids Greater Dayton and FedEx on International Walk to School Day

Safe Kids Greater Dayton joined with children from Westwood PreK-8 School in Dayton, FedEx volunteers, Dayton Children’s Hospital and Dayton Safe Routes to Schools to raise awareness about pedestrian safety and to encourage the creation of safe walking environments. More than 250,000 children across the United States participated in International Walk to School Day to learn how to walk safely.

“International Walk to School Day is the perfect time of year to rally the community together to promote safe walking,” said Abbey Rymarczyk-Pettiford, Safe Kids Greater Dayton. “We had a great event today celebrating International Walk to School Day. Every day, 44 children get hit by a car in the United States. By walking with students on International Walk to School Day, we can teach them important tips for walking safely.”

This year marks the 20-year anniversary of the Safe Kids Walk This Way Program, sponsored by FedEx. The Safe Kids Walk This Way Program teaches safe behaviors to drivers and child pedestrians to create safer, more walkable communities. Safe Kids and FedEx also address the issue of pedestrian safety through research, environmental safety improvements to school zones, and education and awareness campaigns throughout the year, such as International Walk to School Day. 

Safe Kids coalitions across the country worked with more than 200 elementary schools around International Walk to School Day to hold events for children to teach them how to walk safely and recognize pedestrian dangers.

Safe Kids Greater Dayton teamed up with FedEx volunteers to teach safe walking skills at Westwood Prek-6, a Dayton Public School. The group worked with teachers and parents to share safety tips and demonstrate the importance of visibility and pedestrian awareness.

“International Walk to School Day is a big day at FedEx,” said Tim Wertner, senior vice president, U.S. operations, FedEx. “All over the world, FedEx safety experts, drivers and other volunteers work with Safe Kids to reach and teach tens of thousands of children about road safety. As part of FedEx Cares 50 by 50 – an initiative to positively impact 50 million people around the world by our 50^th anniversary in 2023 – our team members are passionate about volunteering in their communities to help keep kids safe.”

About Safe Kids Greater Dayton

Safe Kids Greater Dayton works to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the number one cause of death for children in the United States. Safe Kids Greater Dayton is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing unintentional injury. Safe Kids Greater Dayton was founded in 1994 and is led by Dayton Children’s Hospital. For more information, visit safekids.org or childrensdayton.org/safekids

About FedEx Corp.

FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $70 billion, the company offers integrated business solutions through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 450,000 team members to remain focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. To learn more about how FedEx connects people and possibilities around the world, please visit about.fedex.com.

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