Photo: Wellington teacher Colleen McBride walking with a student on International Walk to School Day, Oct. 7.

“Where’s our cow?” asked second-grade teacher Colleen McBride, as she greeted the almost two dozen students and parents who were joining her for a walk to Belmont’s Wellington Elementary School on a fresh Wednesday morning, Oct. 7.

Whatever the reason, Moozy the Cow – the mascot of Moozy’s Ice Cream on Trapelo Road – never showed up so didn’t get the chance to join McBride, Belmont District Superintendent John Phelan, students and parents as they marched smartly down Common Street as part of International Walk to School Day.

Beginning in 1997, International Walk to School Day is a global event that involves communities from more than 40 countries walking and biking to school on the same day with the goal of beginning an worldwide movement for year-round safe routes to schools for walkers and bike riders. 

This year, the Wellington walk was one of nearly 4,600 Walk to School events around the world on Oct. 7.

McBride has some experience walking to school, traveling four miles each way on foot to a village school building when she lived in Keyna working for an NGO.

“I think that getting movement in every day is vital to success in school, so I think this is great,” said McBride.

Soon, McBride’s group merged with one headed by Wellington Principal Amy Spangler and the wave of participants made it to the school where the students – refreshed and energized – were given stickers, wrist bracelets and key chains.

The cow, alas, was never found.