Students from all over Berwyn used their feet as their transportation to school on a chilly and sunny autumn morning Oct. 7 for International Walk to School Day.

Emerson, Piper and Irving schools in South Berwyn District 100 participated in the walk, and District 100 Public Information Coordinator Dan Lane said 197 of the 287 students at Piper Elementary School walked to school.

“Parents responded positively towards it and would like to see it done on a bigger scale,” Lane said.

The event began in England in 1994. Since then, schools in more than 40 countries have participated during the annual Walk to School month in October.

“We have community schools close to everyone,” said District 100 Board of Education President Joanne Zendol. “Everyone should be able to walk.”

Students were greeted with music and breakfast snacks as they arrived for class at Irving Elementary School. Students arriving were also met by Mayor Robert Lovero, First Ward Alderman Nona Chapman, firefighters and detective Carmalita Terry from the Berwyn Police Department.

Before students headed into class for the day, Terry gave words of advice on how to walk to school safely and avoid strangers.

For Irving fifth-grader Maurcio Uvalle, Oct. 7 was just another day of walking to school from his home a couple blocks away.

“I used to walk with my cousins,” Uvalle said. “I like it.”