Wellington’s weather smiled on between 250 and 300 people who took time out from their walk to work to fuel up on hot cross buns and coffee at Frank Kitts Park on 19th March.
Carol Comber of Living Streets Wellington, who co-ordinated Wellington's Walk 2 Work Day, said "It was fantastic to see so many people enjoying the food and standing in the sunshine chatting to fellow commuters. Today was a wonderful celebration and a real reminder that walking is a great way to get to work."
Celia Wade-Brown, city councillor and president of Living Streets Aotearoa said “This is the first time we’ve organised the event and we were thrilled with the number of people who came along. This is the first step towards running an annual national walking event, similar to Go By Bike day.”
In brief speeches, Minister of Transport Annette King, Green MP Sue Kedgley and deputy Mayor Ian McKinnon all spoke of the need to promote walking for its environmental, health, economic and other benefits.
Councillor Andy Foster, who leads the council’s transport and Urban Planning portfolio, said that good urban design was important for supporting and encouraging walking.
Diana O’Neill from SPARC talked about walking as one of key elements of the Green Prescriptions programme.
Living Streets expressed their thanks for support from Wellington City Council, SPARC, the Wellington Company, Shoe Clinic and Go Wellington buses, and for breakfast food sponsorship from Commonsense Organics, Pandoro and Caffe L’Affare.
[Twenty photos of the event have been placed in the WalkIT Image Library under Marketing. A video has been placed on YouTube - just enter Walk2Work in the search field.]