Last Sunday’s fourth annual Boyertown Area Unity Walk, which attracted an estimated 2,000 people and showcased the school district’s No Place For Hate status, was part celebration and part study in the human dynamic.”Every walker counts in a community that cares.”
That slogan serves as the Unity Walk’s poster signpost of sorts, and the words most aptly describe the event’s spirit and mission.
During its inception year, approximately 250 walkers made a bold statement on behalf of those opposed to prejudice, intolerance and our region’s racial divide.
Quite a jump indeed from 250 to 2,000 walkers. And those numbers speak volumes.
Boyertown Area School District Superintendent Dr. Harry Morgan set the tone during his pre-walk comments: “As individuals, you care that we [as a community] stand up against hate … and it’s essential that we strive to treat all people with dignity and respect.”
And Terry Wade, a Boyertown Elementary School teacher and one of the Unity Walk’s prime supporters, enlivened the crowd: “I know how caring this community can be … I do know that Boyertown is a great community.
“Our people have helped those affected by Hurricane Katrina, including my wife Sandy … some have traveled all the way to Mississippi. And we constantly show support for people like Ally Heintz and Lindsey Spengler.
“Sure, we are all different in some way, all different and unique … but we can respect each other by celebrating those differences.
“My mother often told me that ‘it doesn’t cost any more to be polite to people.’And my dad would remind me that ‘there’s good and bad of all kinds … just look for the good.'”
After Wade’s “God bless … and let’s walk” admonition, the throng of walkers ‘ young and not-so-young, students and laborers and retirees, Christians and Jews ‘ made their loud-and-clear statement via the streets of Boyertown.
Youngsters rode on the shoulders of their parents, Scout troops and their leaders joined in the march, at least one dog was dressed in Philadelphia Eagles apparel … this was a patchwork quilt of small-town Americana.
However, the themes of overarching unity, of “no place for hate” were creating something very special, way beyond just a Sunday afternoon get-together. And the feelings, the emotions were a blend of electric and eclectic.
Amid all of this hoopla, observations tend to create opportunities for discernment and potential disappointment.
More than one person has agreed with my assessment that many more folks could have and should have participated in last Sunday’s Unity Walk.
For instance, while a fair number of school district administrators and teachers were on hand, it was abundantly obvious that a good number of teachers were not in attendance. It’s difficult to urge students and their families to participate, when local teachers do not set the example.
And what about the “movers and shakers” of our greater Boyertown community-the business owners and managers, the nonprofit leaders, the municipal heads?
Way too many of the “familiar faces” were nowhere to be found during the course of this latest Unity Walk. And it begs the question: Are priorities somehow misappropriated?
For the record, the 2007 walk was a spectacular one. And the dedicated organizers are to be commended for their vision and their fortitude.
Missing faces notwithstanding, Terry Wade’s “great community” pronouncement rang true once again.
Undeniably.
Jim Davidheiser is a freelance contributor to The Boyertown Area Times/Berks-Mont Newspapers. Email commetns to jhdcom@comcast.net.
