Philly Friendship Walk Set for Sunday In Bryn Mawr

BRYN MAWR, PA — Philly Friendship Circle helps connect teens and young adults to youth with special needs and their families and will be holding a fundraiser walk this weekend in Bryn Mawr.

More than 300 people will join up for the Philly Friendship Walk at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy, 272 S. Bryn Mawr Ave. in Bryn Mawr, in support of the Philly Friendship Circle.

The walk is an annual fall event raising crucial funds and community awareness for Philly Friendship Circle, which builds inclusive friendships in the Jewish community.

Inspired by the power of genuine friendships, Philly Friendship youth volunteers cultivate understanding, kindness and responsibility while ensuring a caring and inclusive community.

About 300 youths with and without disabilities are served by Philly Friendship Circle.

"The Philly Friendship Circle is a rare community that truly accept everyone, which is hard to find nowadays. It’s so important to me to have an outlet where I can genuinely be myself," said Alexa Verne, 17, of Gladwyne, one of five youth co-chairs of the Philly Friendship Walk.

Verne and her co-chairs, Gabrielle Dorfman, 17, of Bryn Mawr, Ben Wolf, 17, of Wynnewood, Fallyn Zeitzer, 21, and Carly Zeitzer, 21, both of Huntingdon Valley, planned the event, raised money for the walk, recruited participants and reached out to fellow youth to be involved with the campaign.

They were also the public face of the walk on social media.

"Through the bonds of friendship and shared experiences, Friendship Circle epitomizes 'love thy neighbor.' We are thankful for the reminder that our similarities will always be stronger than our differences,” said Eve Kovsky of Bala Cynwyd. Kovsky and her husband David are co-chairs of the Philly Friendship Walk with Ali and Lee Sussman of Bryn Mawr and Renee and Michael Zeitzer of Huntingdon Valley.

One of the challenges of being the parent to a child with special needs is the feeling of being very alone.

Everyone always loves my daughter, but it can feel like nobody understands what we need to do to take care of our child, who is so very different from all the other children out there.

"As transplants to this area, nobody is really there to help us take care of her. In seeking support and solace, one of the things that became apparent was that I needed community, especially as someone not native to this area," said Matt Torell, who moved to Kennett Square in 2013 and who has raised more than $2,500 for the walk. "Friendship Circle was recommended to me as a means for that community, and I have to say, that is really what we found. Friendship Circle has become part of my extended family."

The 2021 Philly Friendship Walk has a goal to raise $120,000. To date, more than $80,000 has been raised by walk participants, which will include families from throughout Greater Philadelphia of all ages, and in some instances their dogs.

The Philly Friendship Walk begins at 2 p.m. with registration and sign in. The walk begins at 2:30 p.m. and the Family Fun Fair begins at 3 p.m.

The Family Fun Fair includes an ultimate bungee trampoline and obstacle course, a magician, crafts, a caricature artist and an opportunity to meet a lizard brought by Jake’s critters.

More information about the 2021 Philly Friendship Walk is available online here.

Visit Philly Friendship Circle website to learn more about the group.