Island Pacific at the 1st North America ANCOP Walk for the Poor

Hundreds of people walked to support the cause of the Child Sponsorship Program

On Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th of August, dressed in their bright blue ANCOPWALK Shirts, Couples for Christ (CFC) members both in the USA and Canada together with their supporters like Island Pacific Supermarket and other groups from different sectors of society volunteered in various parks all across USA and Canada to walk for a very important cause, and that is for the Child Sponsorship Program.

The participants while hearing mass at the Bridgepoint Park, Santa Clarita

Santa Clarita Couples for Christ cluster

 In the city of Valencia in Southern California where one of the events was held, Eric Villanueva, the National Director for CFCUSA said “My heart is overflowing with gratefulness for this very 1st North America ANCOP Walk for it marks an important milestone in the life and mission of CFC through its work for the poor program in ANCOP. This walk will have a lifetime effect on the lives of many young people by providing them with a future full of hope through education.”

The walk undertaken by hundreds of people all across the USA and Canada was extremely important to the future of under privileged kids who cannot afford to have proper education. He also mentioned that they were not alone on this effort and that 13 other states are conducting the same walk that same day and in some states like California, Maryland, and Florida, it was held on multiple sites. 

Santa Clarita Couples for Christ Elders

Over 500 people converged at the Murphy Park in Milpitas to join the walk. The staging point in Milpitas was coordinated by Ding De Guzman while more than a couple of hundreds of people, trooped to Blue Rock Springs Park, Columbus Parkway in Vallejo and participated in the walk. The Vallejo staging point was coordinated by Rod Yumul.

Murphy Park, Milpitas

Vallejo staging point-- Blue Rock Springs Park, Columbus Parkway

Bert Araneta, who is one of the Chapter Leaders of Couples for Christ in the San Fernando Valley area, commented “It was most enjoyable! My top three things were being in the outdoors, doing something of value for someone else and seeing the results of a hard day’s labor.” 

Filipino/Polish Olympian J.R. Celski with Malou Samson, CSP Regional Coordinator for Southern California, and Malou's daughter

 Malou Samson, the CSP Regional Coordinator for Southern California spearheaded the volunteers and members of Couple for Christ So Cal together with Toffee Jeturian, Cris Kagahastian and Ricky Coronel, CFC-ANCOP leaders, as they marched through the green fields of Cross Roads Park (NORTH) in Chino Hills, simultaneous to the group in Valencia. Malou shared "it was so much fun walking side by side with J.R. Celski, the Filipino/Polish Olympic winner, knowing that for every step we make, a big change will happen in the lives of many poor children in the Philippines. We may be a world champion or we may be a nobody, it doesn't matter because we can be a sure winner when we support the cause of the Child Sponsorship Program. Inspiring words from Fr. James Moore, we are not giving a gift in a brown bag but we give the gift of love".

Eric Villanueva, Couples for Christ National Director

In Eric Villanueva’s opening remark he mentioned that in 2011, this will not be a North America event anymore, since other areas where inspired, together with ANCOP Manila, they will be planning for a Global event, an ANCOP Worlwide Walk for their Child Sponsorship Program.

Island Pacific Supermarket will endeavor to support the various communities it serves and continue to offer slashed down prices for our fellow Kababayans to enjoy.Go and visit an Island Pacific Supermarket near you! With locations at Canoga Park, Cerritos, North Vermont Los Angeles, South Vermont Los Angeles, Panorama City, West Covina in Southern California; Union city and Vallejo in Northern California. Check us out at www.islandpacificmarket.com