Students win alternative transportation challenge

By DAVID ERICKSON / Whitefish Pilot

For one year at least, Whitefish High School has "green" bragging rights.

The Whitefish Environmental Club threw down the gauntlet to their counterparts at Flathead High School this week, but both schools came out victorious as far as education was concerned.

The Alternative Transportation Challenge is a scheme in which kids at both high schools compete to see which institution can generate the highest percentage of students using any method other than driving to get to class every day.

Daily prizes were handed out to random students, and at the end of the week, a grand prize was given to the winning school. Prizes were donated by local businesses.

"Last year, we did an alternative transportation week," Environmental Club faculty sponsor Matt Holloway said. "We decided to take it a little farther with this contest this year."

Environmental Club students were posted at entrances to the schools in the mornings throughout the week to keep a tally on how many students gave up their cars.

"The purpose is to raise awareness of alternative modes of transportation and promote it," Holloway said. "If anything, we will make a difference this week. The only problem around here is we have a lot of rural kids, but we got lucky with the warmer weather this week."

Flathead High School won the first day of the challenge, but Whitefish finished strong. During the last two days of the contest, Whitefish kids finished with 11 percent of the student population using alternative methods to get to school.

"The students in my club are absolutely interested in it," Holloway said. "The main purpose is to spread the word about being environmentally conscious."

The Environmental Club also started recycling programs at all home athletic events this year and made an Adopt-A-Highway commitment on Big Mountain Road. They are planning a disc golf fundraiser this spring.