Students Walk for Limbs of Love

Some parents walked with their children, others cheered on from the sidelines, but they all had one thing in common: they were there to teach their children the value of giving and serving others.

On Saturday, May 8th a group of over 300 children and adults joined together for the G.I.V.E. Walk-a-thon, a joint venture between Sagemont Church and Stuchbery Elementary School. The group walked a three-mile route around Sagemont Church to raise money for Limbs of Love and to provide shoes for children in Kiberia, the largest slum in Africa.

The students ranged from Pre-K through 6th grade and were enthusiastic about raising money for children in need. The students were eager to learn about how prosthesis were made, the causes of amputation, the abilities of amputees, and some even shared stories of people they knew that were amputees. It was amazing to watch children who had already learned the answers to these questions share their new-found knowledge with other children who had just arrived at the event.

As these children left their comfort zones, and became educated on amputation and amputees, they quickly began to understand, and therefore accept the amputee community, realizing that amputees are just everyday people like you and me. One little girl who was proof of this newfound understanding among the group was an extremely shy six-year-old, who was unsure of how to approach the subject of “amputation.” She saw the picture of Limbs of Love recipient Cameron Crowder, who she said looked like one of her friends. After hearing Cameron’s story, the shy little girl quickly opened up, and even donated the dollar her mom gave her to get a treat at the concession stand, in hopes of Limbs of Love helping another girl like Cameron.

Events such as the G.I.V.E. Walk-a-thon are not only a wonderful opportunity to raise money for Limbs of Love, but give us a forum to expose and educate the public on the amputee community. Many thanks to Sagemont Church and Stuchbery Elementary for inviting Limbs of Love to take part in this enriching event!