West Metro Fire Rescue, Safe Kids Denver Metro members, FedEx Express staff, Kiwanis Volunteers, Community Volunteers, Thrivent for Lutheran Members and Patterson Elementary School's teachers educated children about walking safely as part of International Walk to School Day 2006. More than 300 children from Patterson Elementary were present for the National Walk to School Day event at Patterson Elementary School in Lakewood on Wednesday, October 4, 2006. National Walk to School Day helps promote the many positive health, safety and environmental benefits that can be gained from regular walking and bicycling to and from school.

Firefighters and volunteers helped walk children to school in order to promote walking and bicycling as healthy activities and demonstrate important safety behaviors. Kids and their parents received pedestrian safety literature and glow-in-the dark silicone bracelets to wear for Halloween trick-or-treating activities. Halloween night has traditionally had the most pedestrian injuries and deaths of any day of the year.

Pedestrian injury remains one of the top three leading causes of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 5 to 14 in Colorado. Every year more than 630 children ages 14 and under die nationwide from pedestrian-related injuries. From 2001 to 2003, more than 210 Colorado children ages 14 and under were treated in hospital emergency rooms for pedestrian-related injuries. Additionally, over 340 children were hospitalized for bicycle-related injuries. West Metro Fire Rescue helped coordinate with Patterson Elementary school to promote Safe Kids Denver Metro's activities on International Walk to School Day, which are designed to encourage children to walk and bike to school and to help educate children and families about the importance of pedestrian and bicycle safety.