Walk for the World
Businesses, organizations, individuals encouraged to participate
by KIMBERLY M. KARCHER Clarence Editor

From the City of Buffalo to the Town of Clarence, from flood-ravaged Sri Lanka to HIV-infected orphans in Zambia, Eastern Hills Wesleyan Church is calling on all citizens to Walk for the World.

The church will host the walking fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 28 beginning at the Clarence Soccer Center in Clarence Center.

The three-mile noncompetitive walk will take place on the Clarence Bike Path in an effort to "reclaim" the path following the October murder that caused many residents to avoid the path.

Michele M. Bjorkman, director of communications for Eastern Hills Wesleyan Church, said the walk was originally planned to take place throughout the streets of the community, but a leadership team suggested using the bike path as a way to put "faith in front of fear."

"With everything that happened in October, our leadership team came together and said, 'What if we move this to the bike path,'" Bjorkman explained. "It would be a way for anyone who wants to use the bike path as a way to reclaim it, and as a church we said, 'Let's put our faith forward instead of fear.' The initiative has really generated a wonderful spirit within the congregation and with our leadership team."

At the same time, participants will raise funds to benefit both local and international projects.

"One hundred percent of the net proceeds will be used to fund organizations here and around the world and to provide an outreach to community and congregation to redeem the Clarence Bike Path from a traumatic event that occurred in Clarence during 2006," church representatives said. "During the walk, participants can pray for safety and protection for all bike paths throughout Western New York."

The church is calling on all residents, families, businesses, organizations and groups to participate in the Walk for the World.

Individual levels of participation are available at $10 per adult and $25 per family of three. Each additional person is $5, and children five and younger are free.

Corporate sponsorships are available at $1,500, $1,000, $500 and $250 levels.

"We're really looking for businesses within Clarence as well as the surrounding communities to get involved with this event," Bjorkman said. "We're hoping the business community will really walk along side the church on this project in our efforts to support these organizations."

Local proceeds will benefit Buffalo City Mission's Cornerstone Manor, located at the corner of North Street and Michigan in downtown Buffalo.

"Cornerstone Manor is really a jewel of an organization," Bjorkman. "To be able to be part of an event that will benefit this organization, which supports women and children, it's just a wonderful feeling."

The organization provides emergency shelter for women and families seeking protection from city streets or an abusive relationship. The shelter serves as a welcome relief from the uncertainties and fears that homeless women and children face, according to the church.

Other funds will be dedicated to the rebuilding of tsunami-stricken Navalkuda, Sri Lanka. With entire villages wiped out by the tidal waves, supplies are still needed to help people begin their lives again.

Eastern Hills Wesleyan Church is rebuilding the village of Navalkuda by providing materials for homes, schools, fishing boats, and other equipment needed in the devastated village, Bjorkman noted.

Other international funds will be provided to an African community orphan project in Chabboboma, Zambia.

The church said this project involves irrigating a fertile piece of land to grow crops that will benefit the 4,000 people within the village/region.

The project is a development initiative that will empower Chabboboma, a community affected by HIV/AIDS, with resources and training to care for its vulnerable members. The project is being done in partnership with World Hope International - www.worldhope.org - and includes irrigation, farming equipment and seed for crops, as well as activities and training to address social, psychological and spiritual needs associated with poverty and/or HIV/AIDS.

The round-trip walk begins

at the Clarence Soccer Center at 10000 Kraus Road, proceeding east for 1.5 miles to Salt Road and returning again to the soccer center.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. followed by event announcements at 9:45 a.m. and the Walk for the World at 10 a.m. Every participant with a paid registration fee will receive a free T-shirt while supplies last. Prizes vary with levels of participation.

The event will be held rain or shine. Child and baby strollers as well as wheelchairs are welcome. Pets, in-line skates, roller skates, skateboards, bikes, scooters and heelys (shoes that roll) are prohibited.

All sponsorships are tax deductible, and checks may be made payable to Walk for the World.

For more information, go to www.walk4theworld. com.