Easterseals Southern California Celebrates 25th Anniversary of Strides: Celebrating Disability Pride Run/Walk at Angel Stadium, Oct. 25th
Easterseals Southern California (ESSC) will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its annual Strides: Celebrating Disability Pride 5K run/3K walk, Saturday, Oct. 25, at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. Last year’s event exceeded its $180,000 fundraising goal and ESSC hopes to reach a new goal of $250,000 with support from the community!
The Strides walk/run promotes inclusion and shows what disability means today. This unifying and spirited event brings together a diverse group of people—with and without disabilities—to break down barriers and show what’s possible with the right access, opportunities and support. Together, we’re empowering people with disabilities, families and communities to be full and equal participants in society.
Festivities will be highlighted by a dance performance from the internationally acclaimed dance team, The Rollettes, whose mission is to empower women with disabilities to live boundlessly and shift perspectives globally.
An expo will feature more than 20 booths with family friendly activities such as decorating a mini pumpkin, face painting, a balloon artist and free breakfast pastries (while supplies last). Angels Strike Force will be handing out giveaways and the Anaheim Ducks Wild Wing Mascot, DJ Jo Jo and the Wild Wing Street Team will be present to cheer on participants. Registered participants will receive a t-shirt, draw-string bag and finishing medal.
The annual run/walk is once again being hosted by the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium, reflecting the generosity of an eight-year partnership between ESSC and the team. Through this alliance, ESSC and the Angels have hosted a variety of community engagement events including Easterseals Night at the stadium during Disability Pride Month; creating a sensory friendly room for neurodivergent fans; hosting ESSC participants at the stadium for tours and back-to-school events; and most recently having an Angels player visit one of our Adult Day Service sites in Santa Ana.
Commented Nancy Weintraub, Chief Advancement Officer for ESSC, “We’re thrilled to once again host our annual Strides: Celebrating Disability Pride Run/Walk at Angel Stadium—a truly special place to mark the 25th anniversary of this time-honored community event. We are deeply grateful to the Los Angeles Angels for their steadfast partnership and commitment to helping Easterseals Southern California advance disability inclusion across Orange County.”
WHAT: Strides: Celebrating Disability Pride Run/Walk— ESSC’s 25thannual 5K Run & 3K Family Fun Walk
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 25. On-site registration/bib & t-shirt pickup, 7 a.m.; program/mission moments, 8:45 a.m.; 5K run begins, 9:15 a.m.; 3K Family Fun Walk begins, 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: Angel Stadium, 2000 E Gene Autry Way, Anaheim, CA 92806
REGISTER: On-site or online at the Strides website.
Adults, $40; Children (6-12), $10; Kids (5 & under), no fee but must be registered. Only service dogs permitted.
MEDIA RSVP: Vicki Greenleaf — VickiG@GreenleafAndAssociates.com
All proceeds from the walk/run directly benefit ESSC programs, including autism therapy services, adult day services, child development services, living options and employment services. ESSC assists more than 25,000 people with disabilities in Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Imperial, Kern, San Bernardino, Riverside and Ventura counties.
According to the CDC, 25% of U.S. residents, more than 70 million people across the country, have a disability. Of those, 23% live in California (more than 9 million), nearly 5.5 million of them in SoCal.
SPONSORS: AAA, Albertsons Vons, American Business Bank, Artie Southam, Beneficial Maintenance Services, California Telecom, Capital Group, Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), Joan Clark Consulting, KKM Leadership, Mark Bertrand, Mercer, Microsoft, R1, T-Mobile, Wholly Guacamole
IN-KIND SERVICES:
AAA, Albertsons, American Career College, Anaheim Ducks, Angel Stadium Info Booth, Behavior Frontiers, Century 21, CVS, Los Angeles Angels Strike Team, South County Photo, T-Mobile
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About Easterseals Southern California
Easterseals makes a lasting difference each day by providing essential disability and community services to children, adults, and their families. For more than 100 years, we have worked tirelessly with our partners to enhance quality of life and expand local access to healthcare, education and employment opportunities. Easterseals Southern California provides essential services and on-the-ground supports to more than 25,000 people each year—from early childhood programs for the critical first five years, to autism services, daily and independent living services for adults, employment programs and more. Our public education, policy and advocacy initiatives positively shape perceptions and address the urgent and evolving needs of the one in four Americans with disabilities today.
To learn more, visit https://socal.easterseals.com.
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