Elton Hills Students Celebrate Minnesota Winter Walk Day

Rochester school encourages students, families, and community to prioritize pedestrian safety.

Published on Feb. 4, 2026

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Students and staff at Elton Hills Elementary in Rochester, Minnesota participated in a 15-minute walk around the school on Wednesday to celebrate Minnesota Winter Walk Day. The event highlighted the importance of pedestrian and bicycle safety, emphasizing the need for safe routes to school for all children.

Why it matters

Promoting safe walking and biking to school helps ensure children can get to and from school without risk of injury. This event reinforces the community's commitment to providing safe infrastructure and raising awareness about pedestrian safety.

The details

As part of the celebration, Elton Hills students and staff walked around the school grounds, learning about the importance of looking for car headlights, listening for oncoming vehicles, and safely crossing roads. The event was organized by the school to encourage families and the broader community to keep sidewalks clear and maintain safe pathways for students.

  • The event took place on Wednesday, February 4, 2026.

The players

Elton Hills Elementary

A public elementary school in Rochester, Minnesota that participated in the Minnesota Winter Walk Day celebration.

Danae Debolt

An instructional coach at Elton Hills Elementary who spoke about the importance of pedestrian safety education for students.

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What they’re saying

“Knowing you have to listen for the sounds of the car you have to look for headlights if its a darker time so having the information in their minds about how to safely cross these roads so that way we don't end up with kids getting hit by cars or having even closer incidents.”

— Danae Debolt, Instructional Coach (KAALTV)

The takeaway

This event demonstrates Rochester's commitment to promoting pedestrian safety and ensuring all students have access to safe routes to get to and from school, regardless of how they choose to travel.