Walk for Friendship Los Angeles!

Rabbi Michy and Miriam Rav-Noy welcomed over 900 men, women, children and teens to their 3K Friendship Walk in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 14, 2010. The purpose of the event was to raise funds and community awareness for their vital programs.

What a beautiful day it was. Probably the nicest day of the year!

This only added to the excitement of the participants ready and eager to walk for Friendship. Prior to starting the walk, a group picture was taken under the huge balloon arch followed by a pre-walk rap song by Rabbi Michy. Spirits soared as the actual walk kicked off.

With music, song and shouts of cheer, and banners and balloons held high, the community demonstrated their support for the special children who enjoy the year long programs and the dedicated volunteers who make it all happen.

As the walkers reached the finish line, stomachs began to rumble as everyone headed in the direction of the aromas coming from the BBQ stand.
From rock climbing to carnival games, face painting, an obstacle course and the adorable puppies at the puppy party everybody had a blast.

One of the best things about the walk was that it brought together all the colors of the LA Jewish community pallet. We had a diverse group of people that simply loved the idea of supporting such wonderful children. Jewish children who have special needs embody such pureness of character that reaches the core of every Jew. These children truly bring us all together. Teens that were anxious to volunteer in our programs after being exposed to our organization were also recruited. One Rancho Park neighbor came out of her house while we were strolling down her street and asked about us – she then ran inside to give a donation as she was so impressed with what we do!

By the end of the day we were happy to announce that we had exceeded our goal of raising $100,000! This astonishing feat was accomplished with the help of the entire Friendship Circle community. Teens that had raised over $100 had their names entered into a raffle and 8 lucky winners walked away with prizes such as an IPod Nano, gift certificates to local stores, LA Kings Hockey tickets, a miniature TV, designer sunglasses and much more to recognize all their efforts.

The afternoon was a smashing success!