The community will gather to honor the resilience and courage of refugees throughout the world at the 2nd Annual Footsteps to Freedom World Refugee Day Walk on Saturday, June 21st. The 5K walk around Portland’s South Park Blocks will begin at 10:00 am. Registration and check-in begins at 8:30 am. There will also be a resource fair, music, crafts and refugee speakers.

The Portland area has become home to many refugees from all over the world, including Burma, Somalia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Burundi, Rwanda, Vietnam, Bhutan, Tanzania, Eritrea and Eastern Europe. Each of these individuals has experienced a journey to freedom, escaping warn-torn homelands, genocide, oppression or persecution, to begin a new life of hope in America. The United Nations World Refugee Day is celebrated every year in June to commemorate and honor the 9 million refugees present in our world today.

The Footsteps to Freedom Walk is co-sponsored by Lutheran Community Services Northwest, Catholic Charities and Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon/SOAR (Sponsors Organized to Assist Refugees). The agencies assist refugees coming to the Portland area in resettling successfully in their new homes providing education, employment training and family support to help them become self-sufficient. Proceeds from the walk will benefit refugee resettlement services provided by all three agencies.

When: June 21st, 2008
Where: South Park Blocks
Time: 8:30 am – 2:00 pm

Registration is $20.00 ($10.00 for children 10 and under) and includes a T-shirt. Teams and sponsors are also encouraged to become involved in the walk. Participants may register on the day of the event, but pre-registration is encouraged.

For more information, contact: Megan Schaefer, mschaefer@lcsnw.org or 503-731-9553.

An information/registration brochure for the Footsteps to Freedom Walk can be found at: http://www.lcsnw.org/events/RefugeeDayWalk08Brochure.pdf