It seems like just yesterday that parents of Blind Children’s Learning Center students started the Destination Independence 5K Walk. Flash forward to 2021, and we are celebrating 17 years of building independence….one step at a time. On Sunday, April 18, 2021, hundreds of individuals and businesses will unite to strengthen the families serviced by Blind Children’s Learning Center. 

To keep everyone safe, this year’s event will be hosted by Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, CA) as a relay event to promote physical distancing (details below).

WHY WE WALK

Every child deserves to meet their fullest potential. Every family deserves to feel empowered and supported along the way. Thanks to a vibrant and caring community of supporters, thousands of families have overcome significant obstacles and achieved milestones they once believed impossible. We made it through 2020 because of you, and now we have the chance to build towards an even brighter and more hopeful future.

Your support not only sustains critical programs making a positive difference every day, but you also make it possible to introduce new services for children and families. BCLC aims to create a continuous and integrated Journey of Care from birth to age 22. And for the first time, YOU have the power to choose how funds you raise are used. When registering, simply select one of the following initiatives:

• Early Intervention Services- 80% of early learning is driven by vision. Help children overcome early obstacles to reach key milestones that we often take for granted. 
  
  
• Family Support Services- It takes a village. The needs of children served at BCLC are more complex than ever, and their caregivers need plenty of support for the child to thrive. You will be supporting parent education, trainings, community-building events to reduce isolation, and access to a social worker to be connected to resources at BCLC and throughout Orange County. When families are empowered, children are more likely to thrive.
  
  
• Academic & Mobility Support- Preschool to 12th Grade students throughout OC public school classrooms need additional support for their vision needs. Support Braille training, adaptive academic support, and white cane mobility training so that each child with a visual impairment can reach their fullest potential by high school graduation

REGISTRATION TYPES

• Standard (includes official t-shirt): $29.00
• Youth (Ages 0-8) (includes official t-shirt): $10.00
• Registration Scholarship (receive shirt after raising $100): $0.00
  
  

WAYS TO REGISTER

Click on this link to Register/ Join an existing or create your own team 

From the main fundraising page

1. Select 'Register' at the top of this page
2. Choose your registration type, contact information, and all other fields. If cost is a barrier to entry, select Registration Scholarship as your ticket option to bypass the standard registration fee.
3. Click 'Save'.
4. On the next screen, you will add any additional walkers to your order and create/join a team. If walking as an individual, you are not required to join a team.
5. Enter payment information and complete your transaction.
6. Check your email for a confirmation message from 'Give Gab'. Follow the instructions to customize your personal and/or team fundraising page(s).

From team page

1. Click Team name at the top of the team page
2. Then you will see option buttons to "Join Team" or "Make A Donation"
3. When you choose join Team button, you will see pop-up to Register Now
4. Click Register Now to join an existing team or create your own
5. It will redirect you to main registration page
6. Choose your registration type, contact information, and all other fields. If cost is a barrier to entry, select Registration Scholarship as your ticket option to bypass the standard registration fee.
7. Click 'Save'.
8. On the next screen, you will add any additional walkers to your order and create/join a team. If walking as an individual, you are not required to join a team.
9. Enter payment information and complete your transaction.
10. Check your email for a confirmation message from 'Give Gab'. Follow the instructions to customize your personal and/or team fundraising page(s).

RELAY FORMAT

The relay will take place on the track & field of Mater Dei High School from 10am-3pm with music, entertainment, and outdoor dining available to all participants.

Teams that raise $1,000 or more will be provided their own designated shaded tent station alongside the track to set up for the day. All other teams and individuals will still have access to a shaded, physically-distanced meeting space. Team captains will have two options to schedule their walkers

Relay Option 1:

Team Captains use this scheduling guide to organize walk times for this option 

For example:

• Team of 5 (suggested minimum team size): 1 hr per individual or 2 hrs per pair

• Team of 10: 30 minutes per individual or 1 hr per pair

• Team of 20: 30 minutes per pair or 1 hr per group of four

Relay Option 2:

Team Captains use this scheduling guide to organize walk times for this option 

Group walkers within a block of time-based on your preference. For example, a team of 12 walkers can participate for a total of 2 hours with six walkers on the physically-distanced Mater Dei Track & Field at a time.

Team Captains are responsible for scheduling members of their team — BCLC Staff are happy to provide assistance as needed. Teams of 4 walkers or less will be assigned a 1-hour walking time and participate as a group.

You can also register as an Individual Walker. Individual participants each receive their own customizable walker page. There, you can create your own fundraising goal and sent our specialized appeals to your friends and families. If you join a team, donations to your individual page will also be reflected on the Team page.

WALK RESOURCES: Visit here for most up to date:

• Walker Guide
• COVID-19 Safety Protocols
• Shareable Assets to create your own beautiful social media posts
• Scheduling guide for team captains.