Champaign-Urbana students get active with Bike & Roll Day

URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — Students across Champaign and Urbana went to school in a different way on Wednesday morning. Kids and even some parents participated in National Bike and Roll Day.

Kids in Champaign-Urbana rolled out of bed and hopped on their bikes bright and early. The school districts participate in National Bike and Roll Day every year.

“This is one of our best programs that I think has a great turnout because our students really do like to bike to school,” said Leal Elementary School Principal Adriana Ochoa.

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Ochoa said it helps bring the community together. It even brought out the mayor of Urbana.

“I love supporting, encouraging kids from an early age to do this and to walk and ride their bikes when they can,” Mayor Diane Marlin said. “It’s good exercise.”

Second-grader Ava Jackson said she missed out on riding her bike this year, but was still able to contribute to the tradition.

“Kids, they didn’t know where to put their bikes, so I directed them,” she said.

Ochoa said this helps classmates communicate with one another.

“Not only for our students, but for our new families, too, that are coming into Urbana — I believe it’s a great attraction.”

It’s a tradition the two cities plan on keeping alive for years to come.

Some of the other schools that participated in Bike and Roll Day were Thomas Paine Elementary, Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary, Booker T. Washington STEM Academy, and Franklin Middle School.

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