Organizers hope Walk 4 Friendship will raise $600,000

The 2012 West Bloomfield Walk 4 Friendship will be held on Sunday, Sept. 2 beginning at 12:30 p.m. at the Meer Family Friendship Center, located at 6892 W. Maple Road.

The event consists of a 5-kilometer walk and 1-mile family walk to raise funds and community awareness for The Friendship Circle, a non-profit organization for individuals with special needs.

“These are funds that cover one-third of our operating budget and they all support 25 weekly and seasonal programs hosted here for children with special needs,” said Lauren Todaro, assistant to the director at The Friendship Circle. “We have an inclusional sports league, martial arts, as well as Friends at Home, where teens visit a home with a special needs child.”

She added that $501,772 was raised at last year’s event and the goal for this year is $600,000.

Registration for the event will begin at 11:30 a.m., followed by the opening ceremony at the Friendship Center at 12:30 p.m. and the beginning of the 5K and 1-mile walks at 12:45 p.m.

The routes will be separate for the 5K and 1-mile walks, but both routes will take participants to the Jewish Community Center at 6600 W. Maple Road for the finish.

Following the walk, participants will be greeted with food and plenty of activities, including giant hamster balls, inflatables, laser tag, life-size “Angry Birds,” a dunk tank, and crafts at the Home Depot Kids Workshop.

The post-walk festivities will also include a performance by the acrobat group Cirque Zuma Zuma, which previously performed on “America’s Got Talent.”

Those interested in participating in the walks can register online at walk4friendship.com. Click on “register to walk” to register as an individual, start a team, or join an existing team.

Visitors to the website can also click on “Donations” for general donations or to donate on behalf of a participant in the event.