Alpha Resource Center is proud to announce the 3rd annual Walk, Ride & Roll! That’s right, this year we’ve added a RIDE portion to our event! Cyclists will head out in the early morning for a 40 mile ride through Goleta and Santa Barbara ending back at Girsh Park to join the walkers at the Lemon Festival stage. For the past 2 years this event has been evolving and taking on a life of its own. It began with a focus on bringing awareness to people’s ABILITIES rather than their disabilities, but has evolved into something even greater – a quest to create an inclusive community! The vision for this event is that it will create a venue where everyone in the community can participate in an event together.
The quest does not stop after the event, however. Our dream and vision is to create an inclusive community where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As part of this dream, Alpha has developed “Imagine A World” awards that are given to local businesses and organizations in recognition of their outstanding commitment to treating everyone that they serve with dignity and respect, especially people with disabilities. An award is given out once a month starting last October at the Walk & Roll. Recent recipients include Chili’s, Santa Barbara Zoo, Zodos, and The Learning Den.
The addition of the cycling portion to the event this year does a number of positive things. First, it increases visibility for this event all over town; second, it broadens the scope of the event to include yet another activity drawing people from the cycling community; third, it will serve as a fundraiser for Alpha which is greatly needed, especially in these tough economic times. The cost of the walk & roll portion of the event will be kept very low to make it accessible to all that want to attend, but a raffle full of great prizes will also be used to raise funds. Check the website for updates on available prizes!
Reaching out and encouraging community participation is central to the success of our vision. In an effort to reach many of the youngest members of our community, students at local schools are being asked to participate in an essay or poetry contest with the prompt “Imagine a world where everyone is treated with dignity and respect”. Contestants are asked to submit an essay or poem with their interpretation of that message. Three winners will be chosen from elementary school, junior high, and high school submissions and they will be recognized at the end of the Walk, Ride & Roll. The first place winner in each age group will read his/her essay on stage. They will be joined by many other talented performers for an hour packed with singing, dancing, and much more. Be sure to stay near the stage at the end of the Walk, Ride & Roll to enjoy the entertainment and see if you’ve won any raffle prizes!
For more information, to register, or to become a sponsor, contact Amy Buesker at (805) 683-2145 x127 or abuesker@alphasb.org or visit www.alphasb.org.
