The community challenge

Hello Community First Activists,

TAKE THE WALK!

I want to make sure everyone here is aware that of the challenge to TAKE THE WALK this Sunday. Take a look! www.thinkkindness.org This is an example of a few people coming together and doing something really amazing.

DATE: SUNDAY, JUNE 7th

START TIME: 8:45 (check in) 9:30 (start)

START LOCATION: Manzanita Bowl (UNR)

END LOCATION: Starbucks (UNR)

Single: $10

Team of 4: $30

Taken from the RGJ Article today:

Walk raises funds to send shoes to orphans!


Brian Williams is hoping people realize on Sunday how tough it is. He is organizing Take The Walk, a fundraiser to send more than 7,000 shoes to orphans in Nyeri, Kenya. The walk costs $10 and participants will walk a mile barefoot starting at the University of Nevada, Reno campus.

The event will raise money to ship the donated shoes that were collected by local high school students. Williams also hopes to raise enough to film a documentary about the project. "These shoes will go to people who haven't ever worn shoes," said Williams, who is a motivational speaker and founder of Think Kindness, a nonprofit he started in 2007. Williams, 26, is a 2001 Bishop Manogue High School graduate and UNR student.

The shoes were collected during the past few months by students at Damonte Ranch and Bishop Manogue high schools after he spoke to students at both schools. "I challenged them to change their community in 90 days," Williams said. The student councils at both schools came up with the idea and spearheaded the collection of 7,500 shoes by putting up donation boxes around town including at gyms and schools.

"It's a way to get people involved in doing something good," Williams said. "I realized once you start something, you create a spark and more people want to get involved." Williams, a black belt in martial arts, has spoken to more than 25,000 local students. He started a program where he combines his martial arts training with a program to encourage random acts of kindness.
His motto is "Kindness is the ultimate form of self-defense."

The program developed for elementary school students encourages children at schools to document 5,000 random acts of kindness. "It can include stuff like picking up a pencil for someone or opening a door," Williams said.

"I hope that eventually, I can document a million acts of kindness to show people what it looks like," said Williams.

He said Sunday's walk is an easy way for people to get involved, and learn what can be accomplished by taking small steps. "You always hear people talk about what it's like to walk in someone else's shoes," Williams said. "This walk gives people a chance to see what it's like to walk a mile in someone's shoes when they don't have shoes."

Williams said Nevada first lady Dawn Gibbons and Reno and Sparks mayors will be attending the walk.

TAKE THE WALK!