The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario and Green Communities Canada
Launch the “iCANwalk to school… can you?” Campaign Today

TORONTO, Oct 6 /CNW/ - Today, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario and Green Communities Canada launched the iCANwalk to school… can you? campaign, to celebrate International Walk to School Day. These are the types of initiatives that contribute to healthier, active children and communities. Schools are asked to pledge to increase walking - to school and in school - and to register online to log their progress through the year. Registered schools will be eligible for prizes from the Jump Rope for Heart HeartSmart^TM Points program. To date, over 250 Ontario schools are participating in this year's International Walk to School Day and 95 have taken the pledge to continue walking throughout the year.

In September 2009, the Heart and Stroke Report on the Health of Ontario's Kids established that our children are still facing an unhealthy childhood due to a lack of physical activity and poor eating habits. And if the situation doesn't improve soon, this generation of children - through no fault of their own - will experience a shorter lifespan than their parents due to the risk of developing life-threatening illnesses such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

"International Walk to School Day provides the perfect opportunity to launch a year-long campaign encouraging students to walk to school," says Jacky Kennedy, Green Communities Canada. "Walking regularly with school chums is a great way to keep fit, get to know your neighbourhood, and help reduce pollution."

Donald Cousens Public School is a participant in a York Region pilot project - School Travel Planning - where the school boards, the Town of Markham and the Regional Municipality of York work collaboratively to create a comprehensive travel plan for the school. This work ties directly to Markham's community sustainability plan, as well as York Region Health Services' "Going to school - go active!" initiative.

"Markham's Greenprint Community Sustainability Plan emphasizes that a walkable and accessible community is a vital and positive contributor to active living and the overall quality of our lives," said Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti. "The iCANwalk pilot program is a great example of how community partners can work together to create and achieve healthy lifestyle choices."

"Whether it is walking, pedaling a bike, boarding or jumping rope, increasing physical activity is a powerful means of putting kids on the fast track to a heart-healthy lifestyle," says Sharon Brodovsky, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. "We believe that every child deserves the right to grow up healthy. Getting more kids physically active will help give them a healthier future."

For more information about International Walk to School visit:
www.saferoutestoschool.ca/iwalk.asp

Project partners for the pilot project launching in Markham include: Green Communities Canada, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, The Regional Municipality of York, Town of Markham, York Region District School Board, and York Region Catholic District School Board.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation, a volunteer-based health charity, leads in eliminating heart disease and stroke and reducing their impact through the advancement of research and its application, the promotion of healthy living, and advocacy. The Foundation's activities have helped to decrease the death rate from heart disease and stroke by about 70% in the past 50 years. But there is still much more to do. To learn more about the Heart and Stroke Foundation's healthy kids' initiatives, visit www.heartandstroke.ca/spark.

Green Communities Canada is a national association of non-profit organizations that deliver innovative, practical environmental solutions to Canadian households and communities. For more information, visit www.saferoutestoschool.ca/schooltravel.asp. 

For further information:

Green Communities Canada
Jacky Kennedy
Tel: [phone]
Cell: 416-922-5496
[email protected]
www.saferoutestoschool.ca

Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario
Diane Hargrave Public Relations
Tel: [phone], ext. 104
Email: [email protected]