Walking for independence

Esther Rodriguez, Parents & Teachers Section Editor|April 4, 2014

On Sat., Mar. 22, the Stonewood Center hosts the annual Arc Walk for Independence to raise money for people with disabilities. The Arc Walk has helped over 400 children and adults.

On Sat., Mar. 22, the Downey community gathered together at Stonewood Center to participate in the Arc Walk for Independence supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Before the participants started their trek, the hosts welcomed Downey Mayor Fernando Vasquez who spoke a few words to and about the community. Vasquez thanked the community for helping out and supporting the Arc Center.

“This community is one who always bands together to support great causes,” Vasquez said. “For this, we are all thankful.”

The participants of the three-mile walk started off as the hosts read off their team names. These teams included the Downey Kiwins, the Downey Key Club, and the DHS Amigos. Junior Brittany Lorenzana participated in the walk for the second time since she joined Kiwins. Lorenzana, having been to the Arc Center, knew she was supporting a worthy cause, so she, along with other Kiwins members, participated in the three-mile walk.

“I walked because I like what they do,” Lorenzana said. “I’ve visited the Arc Center where they actually take their time to teach their students with disabilities.”

As participants reached the finish line they were cheered on by the Warren High School marching band, clowns, and the Los Angeles Clippers Fan Patrol. Key Club member junior Tatiana Morales joined these participants hoping to inspire bystanders to join them next year.

“It was fun walking for a cause,” Morales said. “Three miles is nothing compared to what they go through, and if someone drives by and sees me walking, they might want to do it next year.”

The Arc Walk ended with Mayfair High School’s jazz band playing as participants were given free food from sponsors, such as Acapulco Mexican Restaurant and Cantina, and enjoyed each others company. The hosts thanked everyone for coming out to support the cause as the clubs and teams made their way out.

The Arc of Los Angeles and Orange Counties, founded in 1956, is an organization that provides people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities with the tools they need to work towards an education.

The 16^th annual Arc Walk for Independence ended by raising money for research and support for people with disabilities with the help of the Downey community and the participants from the Los Angeles region.

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About the Contributors

Esther Rodriguez, Parents & Teachers Section Editor

Entering her second year as a writer for The Downey Legend, senior Esther Rodriguez has high hopes. As a sophomore, she heard about joining Newspaper during the morning announcements and her English teacher, Mr. Kraus, encouraged her to fill out an application and display her knack for writing. This inspired her to apply and see if she could make it, which she did. Rodriguez joined in hopes of improving her writing skills, becoming less shy, and learning to write in more detail. To her, the best part about being on the newspaper staff is finding out about interesting, random things going on around the school. “There are things you would not know just coming to school, but being in Newspaper you learn things that aren’t common knowledge,” Rodriguez said. “We are the eyes and ears of the school.”

In her down time, Rodriguez enjoys reading young adult literature, writing fictional stories, and spending quality time with her cell phone on websites like YouTube, Tumblr, and Twitter. Besides being in Newspaper at school, she is also a new tutor at Downey High’s Writing Center. Writing as much as possible is important to her because she dreams of one day being an author. Along with chasing her aspirations of writing for a living, after she finishes high school, Rodriguez also looks forward to attending a university such as UCLA, San Diego State, or UC San Diego and obtaining a degree in English. Next summer, she will also be going on a missionary trip with church to Japan. Although her head is full of thoughts about the surreal future, for now Rodriguez is focusing on her schoolwork and activities and soaking up her last year as a high schooler.

Alexandra Menendez, Photographer

Returner Alexandra Menendez took up photography for The Downey Legend her junior year. Since the purchase of her first camera as a mere 6^th grader, photography has been a point of interest for the 17 year old; the school newspaper is just one on a long list of creative outlets she uses to express her photography skills. “I like having the ability to capture a memory before it’s gone forever.” Menendez says. Outside of campus, she refines her skills through photo-shoots with her friends and sister along the railroad tracks and otherwise simple backdrops. She plans on enrolling at San Francisco State and studying to be a professional photographer, but if all else fails, she aspires to at least be a qualified teacher. Currently, she is attending the ROP class Principles in Education to guide her into being the ideal photography instructor she aims to be.

The soft-spoken Menendez lives her life to the fullest of its potential each and every day. She is a proud film enthusiast, lover of Asian cuisine, and self-proclaimed introvert – though she claims to enjoy wasting away the weekends with her friends. Nonetheless, rather than having a traditional quinceñera with the spotlight on her, Menendez chose to travel Europe alone. “I’ve always wanted to go, just to see new places I’d never seen before.” Menendez says. “I wanted something new. She still longs to travel the rest of the world – all the while, documenting her trips through a camera lens. A small girl, Menendez has big dreams ahead of herself.