Guluwalk 2007

Last year I raised my goal of $100 but I could not attend the walk. This year was just the opposite; I did not get any money raised but I had the opportunity to attend the walk. I'm so glad I got to go. I did have second thoughts but after today I am so glad I went.

My friend and fellow Governor's School dance student, Ali Hartsook, herself started the Guluwalk location in Norfolk, VA. This was the second annual Guluwalk. The walk takes place in cities all over the country and world. It was originated by two men in Canada and is spread throughout the world today. Today everyone walked together in support of the children and people of Uganda.

Guluwalk is used to raise awareness of the conflict in Uganda and draw support from the community. Even if you did not donate any money, just being there and showing up was a great effort of support. A local high school even decided to make a field trip out of it. We gathered at Harbor Park to register, sign letters to send to our senators, and buy merchandise, of which all proceeds go to the Athletes for Africa campaign. Ali even made a little speech. From there we talk a walk around the city yelling, singing, clapping, and stopping traffic for a cause. We then entered the Todd Rosenlieb Dance Center and had refreshments and then watched a video on the Invisible Children.

After the video I was very inspired. I almost cried watching the video where this boy was talking about how he would rather die than live at this point and started to cry when he began talking about his brother who was killed by the Rebels. When I was driving home everything seemed to be in slow motion. I was going almost 80 MPH but it felt like 10. I was still in a daze of thoughts after watching that video and being a part of this experience. When I was a kid my father used to tell us how lucky we were to live in this country and to be able to even go to school and have a roof over our heads. I didn't really care back then and I have dealt with that reaction when I tell kids today just what my dad said. Kids complain about so much these days and they have no real concept of living or what the world is really like.

We take so much for granted. It's true what they said on the video-- a shot is fired in the Middle East and it's all over the news but millions of kids are killed in Africa and no hears anything.