Annual Partnership Walk on 25 October
Los Angeles , CA :Thousands of participants are expected to turn out on Sunday, October 25, 2009 at the 15 th Annual Partnership Walk being held at the Santa Monica Pier. Partnership Walk will be kicked off with an Opening Ceremony at which several civic and community leaders and celebrities will be in attendance. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Congressman Brad Shermanhave been guests of honor at the most recent Partnership Walks held in 2007 and 2008. Following the opening ceremonies, the 3K Walk will commence on the Pier at 11AM and continue along a scenic route through Palisades Park, overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica.
The Walk will be held simultaneously in five major cities across the US. Besides Los Angeles, thousands will walk in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Houston. In addition to individual participants, scores of teams from corporations, universities, schools and community organizations will also be participating.
Partnership Walk reflects a compassionate effort as global citizens, to build bridges of hope reaching across boundaries of race, religion, age and gender. Through their involvement in Partnership Walk, participants become actively involved in advancing human dignity and peace around the globe.
The theme for Partnership Walk 2009 is “Education, the Universal Bridge,” highlighting the extraordinary successes, expansion and far reaching impact of the Aga Khan Foundation’s (AKF) educational programs. AKF programs aim to diminish the many obstacles to educational access and achievement in the developing world. AKF operates schools and other educational services in over 300 facilities ranging from day care centers to higher secondary schools. Through increased access to education and with a focus on maximizing reach, AKF helps communities in developing countries break the cycle of poverty. Education is indeed a universal bridge to opportunity, and AKF is building these bridges where they are most needed.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has acknowledged the valuable contributions that AKF USA is making, noting that “Partnership Walk is a commitment from all of us to address poverty, hunger, illiteracy … in the world. AKF is about something bigger than just the number of people here today. It is about commitment to the human race.”
For more information, visit www.PartnershipsinAction.org/walk
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