Special to the Reporter

More than 200 people gathered for the Friendship Circle’s 10th annual Community Day of Kindness/1K Friendship Walk on Oct. 22 at the Mercer Island Community and Events Center.

Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky, founder of Friendship Circle, welcomed the crowd that included the Mercer Island High School cheerleaders. The organization pairs high-school students with children with disabilities as their mentors.

The event featured a family resource fair, kindness activity stations, breakfast bar, games, face painting, balloon tying, cotton candy and free popcorn. Participants engaged in a 1K walk in Luther Burbank Park during the event, which also featured a Storybook Walk following “Be Kind” by Pat Zietlow Miller.

“It was a day of joy, inspiration, and most of all, kindness. We create a sense of belonging and develop important life skills for children and teens with special needs, we empower high school teen volunteers to ensure that inclusion and diversity are the norm, and that everyone has the opportunity to participate and succeed,” reads a Friendship Circle press release.

For more information, visit: https://www.friendshipcirclewa.org/