THOUSANDS GATHERED FOR THE 7TH ANNUAL FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE WALK
October 20 – It was a bright, sunny, family-friendly day, as 2,000 people turned out for the 7th Annual Friendship Circle Walk. Festive banners rose above the crowd and colorful placards were held high identifying the various teams preparing to walk. Eyes sparkled and smiles were in abundance as children pulled on parents’ hands, dogs on leashes, and hundreds of families and volunteers convened on the parking lot of their new Friendship Circle facility, and soon to be renovated, LifeTown Center.
The financial goal of this year’s walk was $150,000. As of that afternoon, they had already exceeded that and it was still rising. “The community is so supportive of people with special needs, it was so wonderful to welcome everybody to the Friendship Circle’s new home,” said Rabbi Zalman Grossbaum, Executive Director of Friendship Circle. “The energy was palpable and it added extra excitement to the day.”
A unique twist to this year’s walk was a set of trading cards that the participants collected as they trekked the 1 mile and 5k trails. Each card presented another one of the unique centers that will make LifeTown a first of its kind in the region, catering to the needs of all children, teens and adults.
After the walk, the participants enjoyed a spectacular fair, complete with all the childhood favorites: hot dogs and knishes, as well as moon bounces, rock walls, face painting, and a dazzling performance by Hoop Wizard.
“There is so much love here,” said Shana S., mother of seven-year-old Eitan, who is on the autistic spectrum. “When he walks into a Friendship Circle program he has a huge smile on his face and greets everybody by name. Everybody knows him. It is such a welcoming, nourishing environment and it makes him feel that he’s a part of things.”
Eitan joined the Friendship Circle when he was five, said his Mom. This year Eitan’s family formed a walking team called “Eitan & the Tractors,” (a nod to his fascination with tractors). Eitan’s team numbered thirty people, many of whom are also contributors to Friendship Circle. “We were happy to be able to give back to Friendship Circle,” his mother said. “It has given us so much.”
One of the many others who turned out for the walk with family and friends, Joanne Trenk discovered Friendship Circle when longtime volunteers, Michael and June Schechner, came to her home last year and met their son Alexander. “There are many programs for our typical children, but there aren’t many for children with special needs,” said Joanne, who has been a member of Friendship Circle for the past year and was this year’s top walker.
Fifteen-year-old Alexander Trenk has a rare Cri-du-chat Syndrome. At two weeks of age, she was told that her son would never walk, never talk, never hold an unsupervised job. But “he’s been amazing,” she said. “He is involved in so many things. He uses an iPad, a computer, and reads on a first grade level. I leave him at Friendship Circle programs and never worry. Ever. This place makes you want to help people. It makes you a better person when you’re here.”
Friendship Circle’s organic and participatory approach brings together teenage volunteers with special needs children and teens in ways which pull in other family members and even friends - often benefiting everyone involved.
The entire Schechner family has been involved with the Friendship Circle. When she was in the second grade, fifteen-year-old Ruby began tagging along during her older sister, MayaBea’s Bat Mizvah project; and she’s continued ever since. Also involved, Ruby’s brother, Eli, 17, still works closely with three special friends he’s known since his Bar Mitzvah. Ruby loves what she’s doing because it’s “being a friend to someone who may need a friend,” she said. “They smile when they see me, and it’s such a good feeling.”
Joanne summed up the feelings of all who participated, “It was a day of incredible joy and community support and meant so much to me and my family.”
