Hurricane Fails to Dampen Spirits at Friendship Circle Walk
The encroaching Hurricane Sandy did not put a damper on the 1,600 people who showed up to participate in the Friendship Circle of New Jersey’s 6th annual FCWalk. Beneath grey skies, decked out in their blue shirts brightly imprinted with “Givin’ It Heart & Sole”, they gathered at the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy campus to promote greater awareness of the unique gifts and needs of people with special needs. The walk raised over $130,000 for the Friendship Circle’s many social and educational programs.
Rabbi Levi Grossbaum, the walk organizer, wasn’t surprised at the strong turnout despite the impending storm. “This is what the Friendship Circle is all about,” he explained. “Turning challenges into opportunity.”
The walk began with live music and a word of appreciation from Deputy Mayor Rudy Fernandez followed by an address by Scott Leshin, dad of five year old Sam, who has a working diagnosis of cerebral palsy. Together, Team Sam raised nearly $15,000 for the Friendship Circle, coming in as the winning team.
Leshin described how he and his wife Carrie, moved the family to Livingston three years ago, and immediately got to work finding the very best doctors and therapists for Sam. “But what we overlooked is that Sam is still just a little boy, who loves to have fun, be silly,” said Leshin. He described how the Friendship Circle welcomed his family into the community, offering them support, friendship and joy. “Sam’s got a great smile,” Leshin concluded. “The Friendship Circle gave my son the opportunity to share that smile with everyone.”
But Leshin couldn’t give up the microphone without slipping in one Sandy-related quip: “Anyone got some D batteries?”
The participants then trekked down the 1 mile and 5k trails proudly waving their hand-colored signs proclaiming their team names. Post walk, the community was greeted by an indoor fair, complete with all the childhood favorites: moon bounces, rock walls, face painting, and a dazzling aerial performance by the acrobatic duo of Cirque-Tacular.
“The Kushner Academy continuously hosts so many Friendship Circle programs throughout the year,” said Rabbi Grossbaum. “With the walk on the line due to the inclement weather, they opened their doors again to allow the walk to go on.”
The winning teams, including the Leshins, were treated with a joy ride in a cherry red $1.3 million Ferrari Enzo. The rides were generously given by car owner Richard Stein, a local tax attorney and car fanatic. Stein is known for using his fleet of fabulous vehicles to bring some thrills to children who can use a little extra pick-me-up.
Yet, for the Leshins, the best part of the day was the spectacular show of support they received from the community. “Today was just surreal.” Sam’s mom Carrie Leshin said, surrounded by a dozen of their friends and family waving signs that read “Sam’s the Man” and “We Love Sam”. “We’re just overwhelmed by the love.”
