GINA B. GOOD / PVT Wednesday, bicycle riders by the dozens from Rosemary Clarke Middle School ride home together after school to acknowledge International Walk to School Day. Members of the Nye County Sheriff's Office and parents escorted the students. Advertisement

Rosemary Clarke Middle School commemorated International Walk to School Day Wednesday by coordinating a nine-mile, escorted bike and walk to and from school.

There was a special route with meeting places along the way for students to join the activities.

The school held the event to bring community awareness to a multitude of concerns, such as promoting a healthy lifestyle through exercise and reducing fossil fuel emissions.

Safety of students while walking or biking to school, or at their respective bus stops was also a focus of the day.

Because of the lack of sidewalks or paved bike paths, students are often walking or riding on busy streets, especially during rainy weather when the clay soil throughout Pahrump prevents students from walking alongside the roadways. As winter approaches, students will also be walking in the dark.

Amazingly, at least one call to the sheriff's office reported the bicyclists as a mob of children blocking traffic.

Bicycle riders met at 6:30 a.m. at the corner of Charleston Park Avenue and Barney Street to start their morning ride. Walkers, skateboarders and riders on foot scooters met at the corner of Bell Vista Avenue and Blagg Road. Both groups, the bicycle riders and walkers, traveled the last 1.5 miles together as they approached RCMS.

Many of the students wore green to signify energy conservation and each participant received a raffle ticket for prizes.