First Walk for Education

The Easy Spirit Freedom Walk for Scholarship America on Oct. 2 benefits California Dollars for Scholars on the California Fresno State campus. The honorary chair for the walk is Fresno State President Welty.

Dollars for Scholars is a network of community-based, volunteer-led scholarship chapters throughout the country, 60 of which are in California. Those chapter volunteers provide financial aid and academic support for their local students, enabling those students to continue their education beyond high school. Easy Spirit, a line of women’s athletic shoes and clothing, is the title sponsor of 10 Freedom Walks from coast to coast.

The Fresno walk for education offers a unique opportunity for Dollars for Scholars chapters to keep 100 percent of what they raise in the walk for local scholarships.

Collegiate Partners are schools that pledge to maximize, and sometimes even match, Dollars for Scholars scholarships. These schools are invited to walk in order to raise money to match Dollars for Scholars awards that come to their school.

The Collegiate Partners in the Central Valley are CSU Bakersfield, College of the Sequoias, Reedley College, Fresno City College, Fresno Pacific University, Fresno State, Merced College, UC Merced and University of the Pacific.

Everyone is invited to attend the walk. Those interested in participating can receive additional information by calling (559) 292-0576 or by going online to www.walkforeducation.org. Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m. in the parking lot near the Save Mart Center and the walk will start at 9 a.m.

Walk festivities will include a 5K walk touring the Fresno State campus and entertainment from Y101 FM, the University High School Jazz Band, the Fresno City Fire Department and Timeout, the Fresno State mascot. A silent auction and a raffle will also be held. Food is being provided by Balance Bar, Amber Foods, Starbucks, Sweet Tomatoes and Krispy Kreme.