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Encinitas schools rock the Walk, Ride and Roll contest

ENCINITAS — Three schools from the Encinitas Union School District snagged the top three spots in the county-wide Walk, Ride, and Roll to School Challenge, an annual competition organized by the SANDAG iCommute program to encourage students and parents to choose healthier and more sustainable ways to get to school.

During designated weeks in October, 46 schools countywide, competed to have the highest percentage of students walking, biking, carpooling or riding public transit to school. The friendly competition is designed to raise awareness of more active forms of transportation and to promote pedestrian and bike safety.

First place with a prize of $1,000 went to Flora Vista Elementary School. Second place, earning $750, was won by Ocean Knoll Elementary School and third place, with a $500 prize, was won by Mission Estancia Elementary School. The prizes will go to buy classroom supplies.

Collectively, participating schools represented more than 31,000 students countywide. Challenge participants reduced traffic and carbon dioxide emissions around schools and helped students get a healthy start to their day. Overall, they logged miles equivalent to 56,313 home runs in Petco Park and burned calories equal to snorkeling in La Jolla Cove for 673 hours.

Along with cash prizes for the winning schools, parents who logged their child(ren)’s trips in the online iCommute TripTracker enjoyed the chance to win prizes; iCommute will give away new children’s bikes to winning students at Silver Gate Elementary School in San Diego’s Point Loma area, Hedenkamp and Heritage elementary schools in Chula Vista, and Albert Einstein Academies Elementary School in San Diego’s Golden Hill area. Families who continue to use and log more sustainable trips to/from school throughout November have another chance to win a youth bike.