| Special to the Detroit Free Press
Thousands of supporters are expected to gather next week for the Friendship Circle’s 17th annual Walk4Friendship, which aims to raise awareness and money for people with special needs and their families.
The event, scheduled for Aug. 28 at the Farber Center at Friendship Circle in West Bloomfield, begins with an opening ceremony followed by a nearly 2-mile walk.
The annual event has drawn 3,000 to 5,000 walkers and is the nonprofit’s largest community fundraiser of the year.
Friendship Circle of Michigan offers programming for people with special needs, including after-school sports, as well as educational and arts outlets and workforce training, powered by its staff of 25 and 50 teenage volunteers.
“We have so many volunteers and thank God our community has supported us financially and allowed us to grow the way we have,” said Friendship Circle co-founder and co-director Bassie Shemtov.
The organization has long helped children with special needs, but also recognized a demand for programming for adults.
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The Friendship Circle owns and operates a full studio art gallery and cafe where adults with special needs are trained and supported.
“We can train adults with special needs in the cafeteria,” Shemtov said. “Meanwhile, more than 75 artists come in between two and five days a week from 10 am to 3 pm We sell their work and receive 50% of the sale.”
The Friendship Café, Bakery, & Art Studio provides a patient environment for adults with special needs to develop workforce skills. Graduates with training can find work in other restaurants or can join the team in the cafe and bakery.
Carlie Suris, a former Friendship Circle youth participant, paints and draws in the Soul Studio. With the help of the studio, he sells his pieces to people in the community.
“The art studio has helped me a lot,” said Suris, who uses a wheelchair. “I’m also able to make art and then people see my art and are impressed by it. It makes me feel good. My grandfather was an important part of the Friendship Circle. … He loved coming to the Friendship Circle and I’m sure if he was here now, he’d love to know that I’m making art.”
Suris says her work at The Soul Studio has given her the courage to be more independent.
“I was a pretty quiet person, but now that I’ve been here a long time, I’ve come out of my shell,” Suris said. “I’m more confident and ask less for help going places because I know myself pretty well.”
Shemtov said children with special needs are not the only ones who feel abandoned by society. His parents also feel abandoned. That’s why the nonprofit provides resources for parents of children with special needs by offering parent nights and other supportive events.
“We do spa treatments,” Shemtov said. “We give them dinner. We treat them with art projects. We do everything we can to help parents feel loved and accepted.”
Walkers in this year’s event can expect food, entertainment and activities at the finish line, including a climbing wall, photo booths, various bounce houses and rides.
The nonprofit aims to raise $650,000 during the walk, Shemtov said. To achieve this goal, the organization has developed a fundraising incentive system, offering prizes including Tigers tickets, hoodies and shirts at various fundraising levels.
“It is a free event, of which we are very proud. No registration costs,” Shemtov said. “Yes, we have to raise money for the Friendship Circle, but this is a family and a community.”
Registrations for the Walk4Friendship Friendship Circle are still open. For more information, go to Walk4Friendship.com.
Neely Allen, who recently graduated from Groves High School and will attend Wellesley College in the fall, is a Detroit Free Press summer intern.
