By Matt Youngfrau
GRAHAMSVILLE — May 9, 2003 – In 1989, New Jersey physical education teacher Len Saunders created All Children Exercise Simultaneously (ACES) Day.
His goal was to get students from all over the United States to exercise at the same time. It has grown so much over the years that children from every state and all over the world now celebrate ACES Day.
It was decided that the event would take place in the month of May, which is National Physical Fitness Month. It was further determined that the first Wednesday in May would be deemed ACES Day.
Students at the Tri-Valley Elementary School in Grahamsville began to participate in the event back in 1999. The fifth Annual Tri-Valley ACES Day took place on Wednesday at the school.
Students in Kindergarten through third grade participated in the event. It was organized by T-V physical education teachers Linda Goldstein and Andrew Taggart.
This year’s ACES Day event was a 20-minute walk designed to promote lifelong fitness and good health.
The students walked out of the school, through the playground and across the street to the high school track. They completed two laps around the track and strolled back to the elementary school. While they were already accompanied by some members of the faculty and staff, Superintendent George Vanderzell and his staff joined the walk when the group passed his office.
The walk was lead by a group of third-graders carrying an ACES Day banner. Those students were hand-picked by Goldstein for that honor.