Immaculate Heart Students “WALK” for Fundraising Success
More than 700 Immaculate Heart High School and Middle School students, parents, faculty and staff formed a procession of bright blue t-shirts as they wound their way through the Los Feliz neighborhood last Friday, October 21, for the 49th Annual WALK.
The event culminated three weeks of student-led fundraising, which, to date, has raised nearly $300,000 for Immaculate Heart’s financial aid program, as well as for campus-wide improvements to enhance the student experience.
“On behalf of Immaculate Heart, I extend a big thank you to everyone who donated to support our students’ efforts,” Immaculate Heart President Maureen Diekmann said. “More importantly, the energy and enthusiasm that students, faculty, and parents experienced being together and having fun last Friday was heartwarming.”
The morning of WALK Day began in the auditorium where students gathered for stretching exercises before setting out on the nearly five-mile trek through the hilly streets beyond the campus and nearby Griffith Park. Some participants ran the course, but most walked the route, drawing supportive honks and waves from passing drivers.
Within two hours, the entire procession had returned to campus where the real festivities got under way. Students were greeted by lively music, colorful banners, as well as a welcomed lunch courtesy of Pink’s Hot Dogs, the well-known eatery that has been a popular Hollywood destination since 1939. Games and other activities on the ballfield also enticed students to try their skills on an inflatable slide, meander through a maze, and hurl themselves against a Velcro wall.
Yet another highlight was a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open Immaculate Heart’s renovated quad, a beautification project paid for by last year’s student-raised WALK funds. Students lined the quad’s new pathways surrounding an elevated grassy center and cheered as eighth grader Fiat Flumiani and senior Alexandra Yambao cut the ribbon. Classmates then danced on the lawn before the seniors formed a circle, held hands, and by tradition sang Immaculate Heart’s Alma Mater to cap the day.
About Immaculate Heart
Founded in 1906, Immaculate Heart High School & Middle School educates and empowers young women in sixth through 12th grades from its central location in the Los Feliz foothills near Griffith Park. The school has a long and distinguished history, with more than 11,000 graduates. Today’s student body of more than 700 young women is both geographically and ethnically diverse, drawing on students from throughout Los Angeles County. Last year, virtually 100 percent of Immaculate Heart graduates matriculated to colleges, including the most prestigious schools in the country.
