The Bridgewater Elementary School received recognition for its work to encourage children - and families - to use active means of getting to and from school.

 The Bridgewater Pharmasave and Davis and Henderson will be singled out for inspiring their employees to use human-powered means to get to and from work.

 The elementary school's vice-principal, Mike Stewart, and Davis and Henderson worker Dee Wright have captured individual honours for their personal commitments to active transportation in their lives.

 All will receive their awards on July 23 during the town's Growing Green Sustainability Festival.

 Bridgewater's active transportation committee administers the leadership honours.

 Committee members Peter McCracken and Eric Shaw felt the award system, new this year, is a good way to pat people on the back for their efforts and also serves as an incentive for others to follow suit.

 "It's one of the things to do to recognize behavioural change," Mr. Shaw said.

 Future awards will be handed out on an annual basis. Up to two individuals and two organizations will be eligible in subsequent years.

 Two months before the next awards are presented in 2012, the committee will make a public call for nominations through an on-line process.

 Organizational award recipients receive a plaque and will have their names added to a special plaque at town hall. Individual honourees receive a certificate and their names will also be added to the town hall plaque.

 Bridgewater's been working on aspects of an active transportation connectivity plan since the report was released in 2008. The goals include promoting healthy, active and environmentally sustainable lifestyles in town.