Dear Editor: It was a morning when our community came together like never before to give hope and encouragement to people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. The Arc Walk participants gathered together over 3,300 strong (the largest crowd ever) on a beautiful morning to tell the world that they care and they want to help.As an organization that has fought for the rights of people for disabilities for 53 years, we could not have been prouder and we want to give thanks for all those that attended the Arc Walk for Independence last Saturday. We of course thank our wonderful corporate sponsors who despite a difficult economy, still gave what they had. I noticed a CEO in the crowd from a major financial institution, but you wouldn't know it, because he just wore a Walk shirt and walked with his team. There was Taylor's team, a proud family who wore pink shirts with Taylor's picture on it. I met the 9-year-old who raised $112 because she wanted to help people. We had newborns come in their strollers, but we also had 90-year-olds who walked three miles. We had schools and churches and Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and Little League teams who walked together for a common cause. We are deeply touched by the level of genuine caring for a population so overlooked. We continue to provide services for almost 400 people every day with a renewed spirit and an awesome responsibility to help each person reach their full potential and take more steps toward independence. I simply want to say thank you to all those that walked the Arc Walk and continue to believe in the dignity and value of people with intellectual disabilities. We will gather again on March 27, 2010 because our cause never goes away, but we believe in celebrating the successes of the people we all serve. To each participant, we say thank you for loving, caring and walking. - Kevin MacDonald, Executive Director, Arc of Southeast Los Angeles County

********** Published: April 3, 2009 - Volume 7 - Issue 50