15th Annual Project Independence Walk Attracted Champions of People with Developmental Disabilities

Champions for the rights of people with developmental disabilities joined forces recently in Costa Mesa’s TeWinkle Park to walk, jog, or roll in the 15th Annual Walk for Independence & Health Fair, presented by nonprofit Project Independence (PI).

Held during National Disability Employment Awareness Month, commemorated each October, this year the event drew individuals, families and staff together for a cause rooted in empowerment, inclusion, and well-being.

The $12,000 plus raised from the walk will help fund the organization’s Independent Living, Supported Employment, and Day Program services that support hundreds of adults. This year’s Walk for Independence grand marshall was longtime PI client Brad Ball. The festivities included walk t-shirts, prizes for participants completing laps, exhibitors, a fruit stand, lunch, and more.

PI champions for the rights of people with developmental disabilities honored at the event were CalOptima, Cordell Surfboards, Newport Center Urgent Care, Pelican Ocean Therapy, Raising Canes, Orange County Business Journal. Robert H. Murphy Foundation, The Louise & Gladyce Foster Family Foundation, A Little Help Foundation, Rec 9 Golf, Penjoyan Produce, and Descanso Taqueria.

“We thank everyone for joining us to support independent living for people with developmental disabilities as we returned to a much-anticipated, in-person celebration,” said PI’s CEO Robert Watson.

PI has more than four decades of service and stability in Orange County as a lifeline to adults with developmental disabilities. Eighty-seven cents of every dollar raised by Project Independence goes directly to support vital programs for people with developmental disabilities. For additional information, please visit www.proindependence.org

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