Southern California students ditch the bus on Walk to School Day

FLORENCE, Calif. (KABC) -- Thousands of children across Southern California ditched the bus and walked to school Wednesday morning.

Wednesday was Walk to School Day, a way to promote healthy activities to start the school day.

Organizers of the event said walking to school was a great way for students to stay in shape and help combat childhood obesity.

Some parents said while they want their children to get more exercise, they had concerns about safety, especially when it comes to traffic.

In the video player above, ABC7's John Gregory joins the 5th annual Walk to School Day.