Friendship Walk on Montreal a big success

I wish to thank Rabbi Menachem Posner for providing this excellent summary of the Friendship Walk, which took place in Côte Saint-Luc last week.

Sixteen-year-old Lola Flomen spent  a recent Sunday afternoon with friends at Trudeau
Park in Côte St Luc. Yes,
many of were high school classmates, but dozens of her playmates were children
with special needs.

She was among thousands of others of others at the
Walk 4 Friendship, an annual event supporting the Friendship Circle of Montreal, an organization that unites
teen volunteers with special children in a friendship that Flomen describes as
mutually beneficial.

Rabbi Yossi Paris,
executive director of the Friendship circle says that volunteers like Flomen
raised $438,656 through having people sponsor their participation in the walk. Yellow
Shoes donated an additional $150,000 through a matching grant challenge.

Flomen says she and a
dozen or so classmates at Lower Canada College solicited more than $1,000
mostly from family and friends.

Another volunteer,
Michael Cons of Hampstead, raised $25,921 from personal friends, family and
business acquaintances.

“We do it for the
children,” says Cons, who attended the walk and carnival with his daughter
Olivia. “Just seeing the glow on the faces of the children whose lives have
been changed by the Friendship Circle makes it worth it.”

Through a wide range of
programs and activities, the children with special needs and their mainstream
volunteer buddies share fun and love throughout the year. The children with
special needs experience the joy of friendship, and the teens are empowered
through volunteering. The regular get-togethers also allow the parents to enjoy
much-needed respite.

Nechama Dahan is one
such parent. Her 22-year-old daughter, Bracha, who is developmentally delayed,
participates in a number of Friendship Circle programs, which she says have
been a lifesaver for her family.

Over the past decade
Bracha has experienced a host of activities together with mainstream buddies.
From “Junior Chefs,” where she purchased, cooked, and ate her own dinner, to the
“Giving Circle,” where she volunteered at the Mada soup kitchen, the Friendship
Circle gave her an outlet and a social circle of caring teen friends to hang
out with. She also goes there for regular sessions of yoga and karate.

“Our programs not only
offer a healthy social outlet for our children,” says Joshua Cummings,
president of the Friendship Circle. “They also provide a setting where they can
feel valued as individuals and forge lasting friendships with our young
volunteers who, in turn, learn firsthand the importance and rewards of
community service.”

These sentiments were
echoed by 16-year-old Steven Abadi of Dollard, who volunteers regularly. “It
has made me more aware of these children’s needs and made me more sensitive,”
says Abadi.

Abadi first began
participating in Friendship Circle events as an 8-year old, then enrolled in
Summit School, which caters to children with autism, Downs Syndrome and other
special needs. Over the years—in part through confidence and skills gained at
Friendship Circle—he was able to transfer to Vanguard School, whose students
are on par with province-wide achievement in spite of learning disabilities.

Now an aspiring singer,
Abadi sang at the Sunday afternoon event. Many of the songs were from his new
newly-released album that he produced with Montreal music legend Félix
Gray—with all proceeds going to the Friendship Circle. The production was
guided by Eli Elmaleh, who
“discovered” Abadi at a Friendship Circle dinner, and sponsored by Manta
Stendel.

“When the kids see
Steven,” says Leibel Rodal, director of public relations at the Friendship
Circle, “they see that they can do anything.”

Rodal says the walk was
just two kilometres to ensure that everyone was able to participate regardless
of ability. This year, there was also a five-kilometre run for those who wish
to do a little more.

Dahan says she and her
family came “to support Friendship Circle, and to show our appreciation for
Leibel’s enthusiasm to make the world a better place for people with special
needs.”