Founder and Executive Director of Friendship House Boca Rabbi Sholom Ber Kessler, Co-Director of Chabad Boca Raton Rabbi Zalman Bukiet, Stanley C (Team Panthers Mascot) and Co-Director of Chabad Boca Rabbi Moishe Denburg
Friendship House Boca, a local organization that supports children and teens with special needs, held its second annual “Walk4Friendship” fundraising event on March 3, welcoming more than 800 participants and raising over $100k for special needs programs in Palm Beach County.
Since its founding in 2020, Friendship House Boca has provided programs and support to over 75 families with special needs children of all ages. The organization engages with volunteers from local high schools and the community to bring support, friendship and connections to individuals with special needs and those facing isolation.
This year’s “Walk4Friendship” was especially significant as it was dedicated to the memories of Noya Dan, 14, and Ruth Perez, 17, two individuals with special needs murdered in the Oct. 7 terror attack in Israel.
“We got in touch with their families about dedicating ‘Walk4Friendship’ in Nova and Ruth’s memories. Their surviving family members were resoundingly on board and moved by the love and support,” said Rabbi Sholom Ber Kessler, director of Friendship House Boca and organizer of the event. “To be able to honor their memories 6,000 miles aways in Boca Raton is so humbling.”
The day commenced with registration and an opening ceremony at 10 a.m., followed by the one-mile walk. Free event T-shirts were provided for all participants and a carnival was held from 12-2 p.m. featuring entertainment, such as the “X-treme Basketball Dunk Show” and an appearance by The Florida Panthers’ “Stanley the Mascot.”
The “Walk4Friendship” event draws inspiration from the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, who taught that each individual has different talents and abilities and it is every person’s responsibility to use their capacities to help others and create a more unified society.
For more information, visit bocafriendship.com.