New Green Works® Walk To School Challenge Lets Kids and Their Families Win Some Green While Going Green

OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Parents everywhere have wistful memories of it.  Often uphill.  Usually both ways.  Now, the makers of Green Works® Naturally Derived Cleaners are teaming up with the National Center for Safe Routes to School to encourage parents to join their kids in this definitive childhood moment.

Walking to school.  

October is International Walk to School Month.  During the month of October, elementary and middle school students and their families can help their schools win one of five $5,000 grants – simply by walking or bicycling to school.  Parents are invited to sign up online for the Walk to School Challenge at www.facebook.com/greenworks, and log their families' walking or bicycling trips on behalf of their school. The five schools with the highest levels of participation will be eligible to win a $5,000 grant. Frequent walkers and bicyclists can also earn individual prizes, ranging from green shoelaces to reusable water bottles.  

The Walk to School Challenge comes during a time of increased attention to the sedentary lifestyles of both adults and children throughout America. Walking and bicycling to school provides an easy way for many families to take a step towards more physical activity in their everyday routine. In fact, First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move anti-obesity campaign has repeatedly identified walking to school as an option for children and families to reach the goal of "60 minutes of active and vigorous play every day to grow up to a healthy weight."

The makers of Green Works® are also partnering with the Sierra Club, the oldest and largest environmental organization in the United States, for the Walk to School Challenge. Together, the groups hope to encourage people to use walking and bicycling to school as a simple way to spend more time outdoors and live a more natural lifestyle.

"We are excited to help get more people to take this simple step to a more natural, healthier lifestyle," said Ria Lacher, brand manager for Green Works®.  "And while not everyone lives close enough to walk to school every day, we think everyone can find a way to participate.  If you live far away, walk together to a bus stop or park a few blocks from your school and walk the rest of the way to campus."

Walk to School Day was founded in 1997 as a way to bring community leaders and children together to build awareness of the need for communities to be more walkable. The one-day event has grown to a month-long celebration that includes millions of participants worldwide. In 2009, students and parents from over 3,500 U.S. schools laced up their sneakers to walk or strapped on their bicycle helmets to pedal to school instead of riding in a car.  

"Communities are using walking and bicycling to school as the first step to change their culture and create environments that are more inviting for everyone, young and old," said Lauren Marchetti, director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School. "The Walk to School Challenge is an exciting way to encourage students and families to think about the environmental benefits of making that choice − like fewer idling cars in the drop off lane − and to join together to walk for their school on Walk to School Day and throughout October 2010. Every step counts."

The National Center for Safe Routes to School, the clearinghouse for the federal Safe Routes to School program, coordinates online registration of U.S. Walk to School Day efforts and provides technical support and resources. Walk to School events are a way for schools and communities to build enthusiasm for walking to school, promote the benefits of walking and bicycling, and bring visibility to any safety concerns. Registration of a Walk to School event at www.walktoschool.org or www.facebook.com/greenworks provides access to downloadable materials, including templates for printing stickers, certificates, and puzzles, and a weekly Walk to School Day planning e-newsletter.

To sign up for the Green Works® Walk to School Challenge or to see who is already walking for your school, log on to www.facebook.com/greenworks.

For more information about Walk to School Day, visit www.walktoschool.org.

The Clorox Company

The Clorox Company is a leading manufacturer and marketer of consumer products with 8,300 employees and fiscal year 2010 revenues of $5.53 billion. Clorox markets some of consumers' most trusted and recognized brand names, including its namesake bleach and cleaning products, Green Works ® naturally derived home care products, Pine-Sol ® cleaners, Poett ® home care products, Fresh Step ® cat litter, Kingsford ® charcoal, Hidden Valley ® and K C Masterpiece ® dressings and sauces, Brita ® water-filtration products, Glad ® bags and wraps and containers, and Burt's Bees ® natural personal care products. The company's products are manufactured in more than two dozen countries and sold in more than 100 countries. Clorox is committed to making a positive difference in the communities where its employees work and live. Founded in 1980, The Clorox Company Foundation has awarded cash grants totaling more than $80 million to nonprofit organizations, schools and colleges. In fiscal 2010 alone, the foundation awarded $3.5 million in cash grants, and Clorox made product donations valued at $8.8 million. For more information about Clorox, visit www.TheCloroxCompany.com.

National Center for Safe Routes to School

Established in May 2006, the National Center for Safe Routes to School assists states and communities in enabling and encouraging children to safely walk and bicycle to school. The National Center serves as the clearinghouse for the federal Safe Routes to School program. The organization also coordinates online registration efforts and provides technical support and resources for U.S. Walk to School Day and facilitates worldwide promotion and participation. The National Center is maintained by the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. For more information, visit www.saferoutesinfo.org.

Sierra Club

Founded in 1892 by John Muir, the Sierra Club is the oldest, largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the U.S. With more than 1.3 million members and supporters, the Sierra Club works to protect the health of our environment and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying and litigation. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.

Walk to School Day

Walk to School Day was founded in 1997 as a way to bring community leaders and children together to build awareness for communities to be more walkable.  By 2002, children, parents, teachers and community leaders in all 50 states and the District of Columbia joined nearly 3 million walkers around the world to celebrate the second annual International Walk to School Day. The one-day event has now grown to a month-long celebration. In 2009, students and parents from over 3,500 U.S. schools joined millions of Walk to School Day and Month participants worldwide. The reasons for walking have grown just as quickly as the event itself. Whether a community's concern is safer and improved streets, healthier habits, or the environment, Walk to School Day events are aimed at bringing forth permanent change to encourage a more walkable, bikeable America – one community at a time. For more information, visit www.walktoschool.org.

SOURCE The Clorox Company