A Walk to Remember
Written by: cdumandan September 10th, 2010Kids come up with crazy ideas, some feasible some not. Back in April I was one of those kids, not yet an intern for Pencils of Promise but very persistent and excited to create a walk-a-thon targeted towards a younger generation for an organization that didn’t even know my name.
Being only 17 years old many people would ask: why would you choose an event as complicated as a walk-a-thon? The only answer I could honestly provide is: I like walking! I ran across a sign for the AIDS walk in April and convinced myself I wanted to organize a walk for PoP; of course not considering the hard work, time and dedication it would require to make it happen. I didn’t know if the walk would be successful, or if we would raise any money but there was one thing I was sure of: I wanted the participants to feel that their voice had a meaning and that they played an important role in producing change regardless of their age. A lot of times kids think that their voice is useless and can’t produce change, all I wanted to do was change that notion.
Upward of fifty kids lined up on August 30th ready to take part in Beliebers Walk NY for Pencils of Promise. I couldn’t have been more excited to see this level of enthusiasm from a younger generation; a generation of kids that wanted to make a change! People talk about taking action and making a difference all the time, but it takes someone special to come out and put their beliefs into action.
I loved being an intern at Pencils of Promise this summer! It was a great learning experience that not only taught me how to be a better leader in my community but also proved to me that kids absolutely can make a difference. What’s best, we’ve recently found out that there are kids in the United Kingdom and in the L.A. area who are planning walk-a-thons for PoP! You see, anyone can join the PoP movement!
By: Sonia Lasdon
Tags: Belieber\'s Walk NY, interns, Sonia Lasdon, The PoP Movement, youth
