Greater Mercer TMA, as the NJ Department of Transportation’s designated regional coordinator for Safe Routes to School efforts, works to keep children in Mercer and Ocean counties healthy by encouraging them to stay active through walking and biking to school and offering safety education.
To encourage walking and help parents plan walks, GMTMA is sponsoring a “Step into Spring. Ready.Set.Win!” campaign.
“Winter is behind us, full-time virtual schooling has ended for most students, and spring brings forth the perfect opportunity to begin a walk routine for the trip to school. The NJ WSB app is a fun tool to help parents arrange walks with other parents and children who live near them,” said Cheryl Kastrenakes GMTMA executive director.
The campaign includes a contest open to parents and their children in Mercer County and Ocean County. To qualify for the “Step into Spring. Ready, Set, Win!”, parents have to download the GMTMA Walking School Bus App, create an account, create or join existing walks, and schedule and participate walks to or from school. The app is easy to use and parents can create walking groups and invite neighbors to join, plan walks to or from school, track miles walked and CO2 saved. Parents will receive a text alert when students have arrived safely at school.
Every time parents and/or children walk to and from school, they get entered to win prizes. The more you walk the better your chances of winning! A random drawing will be conducted from all entries on June 9. Prizes include a $100 gift card for the winning walking group and $250 for the school of the winning walking group to be used for walking and biking programs, and prizes for parents and children.
