On Sunday, August 27th the first ever Stride with Pride for Kids walk to benefit Children’s Hospital Central California took place at Woodward Park in Fresno, CA. Present were several groups from the LGBTQ community who participated in the event, as well as our LGBTQ community allies. A total of $8,000 + was raised to assist the families of critically ill children hospitalized in the Pediatrice Intensive Care Unit (PICU)!!
Pam and I have already started planning for Stride with Pride for Kids 2007, in which we hope to have over 2,000 walkers, and over $100,000 raised!!! By no means is this a lofty goal, because we have received such positive feedback from participants, and volunteers alike that "next year will be even better".
Stride with Pride for Kids would like to thank the following for their contributions to the success of the first ever Stride with Pride for Kids:
Mary Gamboa and her outstanding group of volunteers from Panda Express at Friant and Fort Washington for providing tasty rice bowls for lunch
Corky of Breaking the Silence, and Dakota of California State University Fresno, United Student Pride, (CSUF-USP)
Ron Wilson of Central California Alliance, (CCA) and ReelPride, (Ron also donated several battery operated personal fans, as well as granolla bars)
Brian and DJ Ty Wood of the Gay Officers Action League, California (G.O.A.L.), (DJ Ty Wood was an awesome MC)
Steve, Russell, and Troy of the Imperial Dove Court de Fresno Madera, Inc. for hosting a table on the course, and obtaining donations of fruit, snacks and water
Lu’kas and Raisha and their group of youth volunteers from Open Understanding Team, Loving
Ourselves and Uniting Diversity, (O.U.T.L.O.U.D.)
Shannon and Heather Babcock of SingOUT for getting Bubbles the Clown to come out to entertain
Starbucks at Herndon and Palmdon for donating the very much needed coffee for our volunteers in the wee hours of the morning.
Jack Frost Ice for the donation of 200 lbs of ice!
Skip Nugent, owner of Best Buy Market in Hanford for the contribution of soda
Glick’s Meat Market in Visalia, Save Mart Supermarkets, The Elephant Bar, Baja Fresh, Me n’ Ed’s Pizza, Elisabeth Guevara (PICU Nurse), and Bubbles the Clown for their donations to the raffle!!
Also, a special "thank you" to Dr. Seiden (PICU Physician), for photographing the event, Michael Olson and Robert Nunes for making the signs, and for helping recruit the GSA participants, and to Ross and Pam Hennen, Wendy Parent and Tammy Uslemann, Ken and Diane Lewis for their help in getting the event up and running the day of the event, you all are great!!!
If you have any ideas or improvements for next year, please e-mail us at [email protected]
Thank you, and we hope to see you next year!!!!
Leslie L. Lewis
