Several hundred people participated in the first annual 2.5 km Walk4Friendship Oct. 25 at Pierre Elliot Trudeau Park in C
ôte Saint-Luc. The event was intended to create much needed public awareness about children with special needs while raising funds for The Friendship Circle of Montreal, which has discovered a refreshing approach to helping families of children with special needs since its inception in 2001. Councillor Glenn J. Nashen and I took part the opening ribbon cutting ceremonies.
I was impressed to see Rabbi Dovid Russ, Label Rodell, Leslie Greenberg and others affiliated with the organization raise funds before our very eyes.In fact, when the opening ceremonies began they were at the $96,000 mark. Within minutes of the plea, that number shut up to their objective of $100,000.
More than 650 high school and university students have volunteered to bring the spirit of true friendship and unconditional acceptance to the hundreds of children who participate in Friendship Circle's recreational, social, and educational programs, as well as summer and winter camps. 