Teachers at the Doran Elementary School have been encouraging children to walk to school. Walkers received small plastic "feet" as a reward for walking as well as recording their attendance on a map of the United States to chart their progress. Walking has a number of benefits, including physical exercise and a chance to talk with parents or friends on the way to and from school. "The kids have really responded to the invitation for the weekly walks," commented physical education teacher Dan Gambardella. "We get as many as thirty kids a week, all on a voluntary basis," he added. The project was planned through the School Committee and Healthy City Fall River as a way to encourage more children and adults to walk. To see the October 2007 Herald News article about the event, click here. To see pictures of an earlier walking event at the school, click here. To see a similar walking program at the Greene School, click here. For more information about the program, contact Healthy City Coordinator Dr. Weed at 508-324-2411.
 

(Top row, left) Laryssa Spann, Samantha Rose, Anthony Lopes and Ryan McCabe receive instructions from their physical education teacher Dan Gambardella on the before-school walk in the gym at the Doran School. (Top row, center) Dan hands out pedometers to each of the children before they walk around the gym due to the inclement weather that day. (Top row, right) Physical education teacher Gerard Guimond passes out water bottles. (Middle row) The children quickly move from a walk to a run around the gym. (Bottom row) Mr. Guimond checks the numbers on each of the pedometers at the end of the walk to record on their map.