More than 2,000 people participated in what was billed as the nation’s largest walk to end genocide, raising more than $100,000 to support programs aiding victims and survivors of genocide in Sudan and Congo on Sunday May 20, organizers said.
Thousands participate in Walk to End Genocide in Los Angeles. (Contributed image)
Funds raised from the sixth annual Walk to End Genocide will be used to provide on-the-ground aid through projects like the Solar Cooker Project, which provides solar cookers and training to women who otherwise would have to risk rape and death by leaving the safety of their camps to collect firewood, according to Fred Kramer, executive director of Jewish World Watch, which organized the walk.
The five-kilometer walk was held in Pan Pacific Park and the surrounding Fairfax district for the first time in an attempt to draw more participants after being held in the West San Fernando Valley for its first five years, Kramer said.
The Academy Award-nominated actor and activist Don Cheadle spoke to the crowd, along with Josh Radnor, a star of the CBS comedy “How I Met Your Mother,” and Lisa Edelstein, a former member of the cast of the Fox medical drama “House.”
“With the tragic events that continue to unfold in Sudan, Darfur and Congo, public support from all ages, faiths and backgrounds is more important than ever,” said Janice Kamenir-Reznik, co-founder and president of the Encino-based Jewish World Watch, which works to mobilize the public to combat genocide.
“Los Angeles must raise its collective voice against genocide and mass atrocities. Our Walk to End Genocide is a perfect opportunity to shine a light on people who are suffering in fundamental ways, yet who sadly remain invisible and voiceless to most of the world,” Kamenir-Reznik added.
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