The Friendship Circle is a wonderful organization that pairs students with their peers with special needs, to offer camaraderie and support, at school, at home, and in the community. There are chapters in 80 cities and in other countries too. We have one here in Agoura Hills. In the South Bay, the local chapter of the Friendship Circle together with Skechers, which is headquartered in Manhattan Beach, is holding their annual Friendship Walk on Sunday, October 27 with a goal to raise money to benefit their organization and give back to the local schools where they meet.

Kids in the Friendship Circle meet for lunchtime clubs so that kids with special needs can have a trusted community of friends at school. They also meet up at home, with the volunteers helping them to form connections and make friends. The South Bay chapter also holds many special events and even a special camp on Catalina Island in the summer that seems like the highlight of the year for everyone involved.

I attended a blogger luncheon at Skechers headquarters with members of the Friendship Circle, the Skechers corporation, and another sponsor, Fresh Brothers Pizza.  We watched a video and a presentation from a buddy pair of kids who met through the Friendship Circle. The connection between these teens – a volunteer and a boy who has autism and communicates by writing instead of speaking – was obvious and incredibly heartwarming. The boy’s parents were in attendance as well and they spoke about how The Friendship Circle has been instrumental in their son’s positive development over the years.

The Friendship Walk is in its 5th year and has grown to become a celebrated community event drawing participants from all over the region. Participants take off and walk from 9AM to noon, but there are many special events and activities in the area throughout the day, emceed by my pal, TV host and online personality Jill Simonian. A funky pumpkin race, that you can enter, will take place after the walk! All who are registered will get their own Walk T-Shirt, gift bag and medal – you can register online for yourself and your kids too! Registration is $25 and you can even add to that by raising funds to donate, too. Like their page on Facebook to keep track of all the new and exciting things they add almost daily, including giveaways!

This event has win stamped all over it. I mean, you’re helping people, having fun, and you’re spending the day here: