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On April 29th,
eleven members of Denver Chapter’s Providence Club volunteered at the
5th
Annual Imagine Walk and Family Fun Day at
Goddard
Park,
Warwick,
RI.
It was a beautiful sunny day for the almost
4,000 walkers showing their support and communicating an awareness of
Autism. Pioneer
Volunteers took 225 pictures with 220 being put on buttons for them to
wear. Everyone loved them. It was a big hit.
Pioneer partners helped to blow up balloons and work at the food booth
as well.
It was estimated that around 4,000 people, of which about 3000 were
children, attended. It was a wonderful day for all and great publicity
for TelecomPioneers and Verizon. The Club had their Pioneer banner on
display and Pioneer shirts on. “During the day many
people asked us who were Pioneers? You know I don't pass up on an
opening to talk about who we are”, said Carol Baker, President of the
Providence Club. Thanks to the Providence Club for their continued
involvement in this project and for being out in the community
representing Verizon and the TelecomPioneers. This was the 5th year for
the Autism Walk and the Prov. Club has been actively involved for 4
year.
I got involved through an email from my sisters niece, Roberta, who has
an autistic child. Roberta knew I was involved doing a lot of
volunteering with Verizon pioneers. She wasn't sure what type of
volunteering, but thought we could help out. They had just finished
their 1st walk and needed a lot of help and ideas for their 2nd walk.
So I took on the challenge of food chairman and pioneers also
volunteered to do the button machine.
Our executive board fundraiser raised money each year to help pay for
some food items and the rest of the items needed for the food booth, I
received through donations in kind.
We fed 200 people for the walk when it started and it now has grown to
4000. I was food chairman for 3 years and this year I stepped down as
food chairman to do only the pioneer booth with the button machine. The
button machine was such a big hit. Families were in awe on how we did
all this. They couldn't believe we didn't charge any money. The Pioneers
had a good time and were all very grateful not to be setting up and
passing out food and soda/water to over 2000 people. We had a great
time and I felt we promoted pioneers more with just our own booth.
Click here to view
more pics......
pictured from Left to right: Vernon Baker,
Carol Baker, Rosellen Russell, George Russell, Judy Wayss, Marjorie
Maietta, Pat Hanson and Joanne Dempsey in front. Volunteers not
pictured are Bill Dame and Elaine Dame. |
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