This is the second year Paul Banks PTA has organized the program. Last year it began the end of January and continued through the end April, with the students walking a total of 419.9 miles. This year, the program is similar except that the goal is to continue through the end of the school year. Currently it is a Tuesday-Thursday activity, but Kim McAloon of the school's PTA is hoping for more parent volunteers so it can extend to Monday and Friday.

"Wake Up and Walk" is a way to implement PTA's emphasis on healthy lifestyles, according to McAloon. It also partners well with the healthy snack program the PTA has organized for Paul Banks students.

"It's a way of exercising and keeping our kids active," McAloon said. "We think it's important, especially here in Alaska in the winter months, to keep as active as possible."

Besides that, as the students' eagerness reflects, it's fun.

Beginning before 8 a.m., as youngsters arrive at the school, the enthusiasm builds. Parent volunteers and the school's physical education teacher, Keri Syth, position small cones to indicate a walking area around the gym's perimeter. Music floods the large room. And, once the students have changed to their indoor shoes, each one is fitted with a pedometer to count the number of steps they take.

Around 8 a.m., they start making their loops. Some run. Some walk or skip. Some visit with friends. Before long, the room is filled with moving youngsters and the sound of their voices. They're laughing. They're shouting. They're having fun.

"The kids are pumped," McAloon said.

Before the bell rings at 8:20 a.m., the walkers/runners form a line and turn in their pedometers. Then Syth and the volunteers record the day's steps, logging the numbers by classroom. At the end of the first week, kindergartners had walked a total of 14,663 steps, first-graders managed 23,483 steps and second-graders had piled up a total of 37,764 steps. A formula will help McAloon translate that into miles.

"Whoever walks the most miles, we announce at the end of the week," she said.

At the end of the year, the class that's covered the greatest distance receives a "healthy basket" filled with yummy snacks.

"Last year's had different fruits and vegetables, anything we could come up with that was related to health," McAloon said.

The many benefits of walking, as listed on the Web at www.coolwalking.com, include increased mental well being, greater overall flexibility, reduced risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, reduced high cholesterol, lower blood pressure, reduced risk of colon cancer, reduced body fat, better control of body weight, increased bone density and prevention of osteoporosis, help with osteoarthritis, and reduced risk of non-insulin dependent diabetes.

Paul Banks could add a few more.

"We have less behavior problems, less loudness. It keeps the kids active and busy," McAloon said. "It's an all-around great program.

Parents interested in volunteering can contact McAloon at 235-5448.

McKibben Jackinsky can be reached at mckibben.jackinsky.@homernews.com.