ANCOP WALK ACROSS U.S.A. A BIG SUCCESS

Prepared by ANCOP U.S.A. Communications in cooperation with ANCOP Walk Coordinators

The ANCOP North America Walk for the Poor was held simultaneously on August 28, 2010 in 15 cities in 9 States across the United States and in a couple of cities in Canada.

The Walk was aimed at raising funds to send poor Filipino children to school for free in elementary, high school or college level. Some 1,600 volunteer walkers, mostly members of Couples for Christ (CFC), a global Christian family renewal movement, participated in the 3-mile walk held in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina and Texas. In addition, some 800 individuals around the country sponsored the ANCOP walkers.

“Judging from encouraging reports we received from our coordinators in the field , we should be able to sponsor more scholars from poor Filipino families next school year as planned when we conceptualized ANCOP Walk several months ago,” said Tony Ventura, ANCOP U.S.A. President. Ventura added that because of his group’s successful 2010 Walk, they have scheduled next year’s ANCOP Walk on August 20, 2011.

According to Rollie Balanza, the group’s Chief Financial Officer, ANCOP raised some $56,000 for the benefit of its Child Sponsorship Program (CSP), an ANCOP project that sends poor Filipino children to school for free and, at the same time, teaches the same children to observe Christian values.

Below are anecdotes from some of the Walk sites around the U.S. Let us share them with you.

ANCOP Walk at Murphy Park in Milpitas, California

By Bro. Mauril Mariano

The weather forecast for the day is shower. Rain fell early in the morning, but stopped, even prior to the start of set-up and preparation of the site for the Walk.

Canopies are set up for the registration, food, first aid & water stations. A CFC doctor and a CFC emergency nurse are on stand-by for the unexpected. Slogan stands and directions have been placed all over the walk path to encourage the Walk participants that they are doing this for the benefit of poor children who can now go to school and get a proper education because of ANCOP.

A 3-mile walk is a 5-lap walk around the walk path of the park. You can see many different smiling faces, young and old, healthy and even not too healthy brothers and sisters, who are walking and jogging along the path. Even a brother who is aided by a walker joins the Walk. All of these we do for the poor people and our God, who loves the poor dearly. We praise and thank God for eventually making the rest of the day clear though cloudy. After the walk lunch was served in an orderly manner. The Inspirational Talk was given and closing the ANCOP Walk event, then the Family Day coordinator took over with the dance, singing and praising towards the end of the day. We thank the Lord and the efforts of the ANCOP Walk Team with the assistance of the Family Day Team to make this event a great success. We all know that this is just the start of bringing new hope to the poor children who will now go to school. So let us continue to support ANCOP.

ANCOP Walk in New Jersey/New York

Palisades Interstate Park, Alpine, NJ

God gave us a sunny day with intermittent breeze coming from the direction of Hudson River. He seemed to be telling us: “I have paved the way for your project. Go ahead and walk for the poor.”

And Walk we did! Over 100 CFC/ANCOP members and ANCOP supporters came as early as 7:30 in the morning. Some got lost like a couple of SOLD members who drove past the park below and missed it by around 35 miles! They looked for Palisades Interstate Park along Palisades Parkway. A little confusing, isn’t it?

We started our Walk Day by eating. We ended by eating. Thanks to those who prepared the pre-Walk breakfast and post-Walk snacks.

Bro. Alex Velasco did a wonderful job of reserving the scenic park by the George Washington Bridge which is parallel to the Hudson river. He and his unit also saw to it that everything was in place on Walk Day.

The NJ Walk group started with our usual worship. We praised and thanked the Lord for the great day He gave us and for allowing us to gather in order to serve the poor. A Youth for Christ member led the worship.

Inspired by the goal of the Walk, everyone joined the six-lap Walk around the park section we were in, which was equivalent to 3 miles. You hit two birds with one shot when you participate in ANCOP WALK. You help the poor children in the Philippines and you help yourself by walking exercise.

Even one of our brothers who underwent a knee replacement surgery recently finished the 6-lap Walk! Praise God!

Bro. Romy Dacayanan, our Area Head for New Jersey and Bro. Sonny Aguiling, CFC Northeast Head, closed the gathering after Sister Karen of Connecticut SFC gave a meaningful sharing.

ANCOP Walk in Baltimore, Maryland
North Central Railroad Trail (Freeland)

By Bro. Philip and Sister Irene Inocencio

This was our first ANCOP Walk for the Baltimore area. Everyone was full of excitement not only to gather and make fellowship with one another, but knowing that this event was to support the less fortunate children in the Philippines. Sixty walkers gathered from different parts of the Baltimore region. All CFC ministries were represented.

The trail was a very serene place to walk. It was full of trees and surrounded by nature that God created. There was even along the trail a farm that offered pony and horse rides to kids and adults. The manager of the farm that kept the horses and ponies allowed the children to ride for free and just asked for a donation instead of charging their regular fees. There were even people who rode horses who came to us at our registration table and allowed us to take pictures and pet their horses. They even gave donation to ANCOP.

Now that we have started this project in our area, we are looking forward to the next one, and hopefully, double or even triple the attendance. On behalf of Baltimore and the SFC/CFC service team, we would like to congratulate all the ANCOP Walks and their coordinators for a job well done. God is good and we are amazed at his work to move people. Thank you all for sharing God's vision to help those who really need it the most. Take care. God Bless!!!

ANCOP Walk in Houston, Texas

By Bro. Mel and Sis. Mila Gayao

The Houston, Texas ANCOP Walk last Saturday was attended by approximately 100 registered participants (not including small children); about 90 percent CFC members and their families and few representatives from the Texas Association of Philippine Physicians and the University of Houston.

It was an organized event with full praise and worship, presentation of ANCOP, CSP, and introduction of the children to be sponsored and of course, games, dancing, fellowship and a sumptuous lunch.

Participants walked with joyful hearts under the 98-degree heat as a manifestation of their love and desire to help the poor children attain proper education needed to alleviate the quality of their lives and attain the life of dignity that God intended them to be.

The ANCOP Walk last Saturday was really a very fulfilling experience for all of us who participated. We are looking forward to a more exciting and better participated Walk next year.

ANCOP Walk in Raleigh, North Carolina

By Bro. Edwin and Sister Vanessa Carino

The North Carolina ANCOP Walk that took place on August 28 in Raleigh, North Carolina was a definite success! Eighty-six walkers enthusiastically walked the 3-mile trail in Falls Lake State Park amidst the blazing heat of the Carolina summer – all in the name of answering to the cry of the poor.

The Walk began with a mass officiated by a Filipino priest, Fr. Nonoy . Walkers included adults, youths, children, and even toddlers tucked in their strollers.

The Walk generated a total of $8,300 to date (and more to come!), which will benefit the poor children in the Philippines. The fun-filled day coincided with the annual picnic of CFC-NC. Plans are already being made for a walk next year in Charlotte, NC. Kudos to CFC-NC and ANCOP for making this inaugural Walk a remarkable success!

THE ANCOP WALK IN WASHINGTON D.C.: A REFLECTION

(Edited & Lifted from Facebook)

By Bro. Nap and Sister Mamie Curameng

The planned North American ANCOP Walk for the poor children sponsorship program that happened this weekend of August 28, 2010 is now history. In the Metropolitan Washington, DC area, we have projected a walk participation of 100 and no more than 150 but the actual walk participation was more than we can hope for. The latest figure that we have was that we have a participation of more than 230 registered walkers.

The 5-kilometer walk itself did come with a few glitches here and there but nothing Major Major.

As I started the walk itself to bring up the rear, I can’t help but notice the presence of so many children and grandchildren of the registered walk participants. A few came with their strollers with “babies on board” and a few kids all decked out with their spanking new running/walking shoes all walking down the National Harbor Trail on a bright Saturday morning with the predicted clear skies that we prayed for.

Meeting some of them on their way back to finish the walk, I saw all the bright smiling faces of these children with a few of them strutting on the way. My father, himself a school teacher once told me when I was in college to do well because that’s the only riches he can impart to me that will assure me and my future children and grandchildren a bright future. Now looking at these children and my own makes me conclude once again how right he was that he and my mother (also a school teacher) invested in my education.

As I look at these children along the way coming back with their participating parents makes me realize once again how fortunate they are that they have their parents/grandparents with them who are able to provide for all their basic needs during their growing years without any concern at all on their faces as to what tomorrow would bring.

Such although may be farthest from their mind. It may not have occurred to them at all that halfway across the world, there are children like them who do not share the same optimistic future that they themselves are looking at. These children that I’m looking at are the children/grandchildren of Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers , Accountants, Government Employees, etc………..all professionals whose parents as well are well to do and not so well to do but found the means of furthering their education because they know very well the value of education. A far cry from the children I’m thinking about halfway across the world from this beautiful place called National Harbor.

We must continue holding events like the ANCOP Walk next year. It is in continuing this cycle that we have started that will assure these children that the cycle of poverty will be broken. Let us now then dedicate ourselves to continue the fight to release them from the shackles that bind them in moving forward into a better life.

God has commanded us to so; for he said……
......whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.
Matthew 25:40

Peace be to all of you.

ANCOP Walk in Chino Hills and Santa Clarita, CALIFORNIA

By Sister Malou Samson

God is really good and it's always all the time.

We had a very victorious awesome turnout on the ANCOP Walk last Saturday in both Santa Clarita and Chino Hills. Everybody did a GOOD JOB! Santa Clarita had 300 participants and Chino Hills had 100 participants. It was so much fun and everybody had a great time. What a wonderful way to help the poor, by having fun.

We were blessed to have an ABS CBN reporter at Chino Hills. I heard they did a good news release of the ANCOP Walk at TFC on August 30. Another blessing we received at the Chino Hills ANCOP Walk was God sent an Olympic Winner, speed skater J.R. Celski to lead us in our 10th round. It was a wonderful feeling to walk side by side with J.R. knowing that for every step we made, a difference will happen in the lives of so many poor children.

Thank you to our major sponsors, Island Pacific and Goldilocks. I would specially thank Charina of Island Pacific for all the press releases she made for us. Let's pray for a long term relationship with our major sponsors.

I thank you so much for all your efforts and your desire to make this ANCOP Walk a VICTORY!!!!!! Let's get ready for another ANCOP Walk on Aug. 20, 2011.

May God be praised for He has sent us to do His work.

God Bless.

ANCOP Walk in Georgia (North & South)

By Sister Ida Gruta

“Let’s walk to make a difference!”

“Be part of the miracle!”

Yes, these are positive, motivating slogans that genuinely have moved us to respond to ANCOP North America Walk for the Poor held last Saturday, Aug. 28, 2010.

Here in the Peach State of Georgia, we had two locations where this great event simultaneously took place. Up North, the venue was at the famous Piedmont Park, right at Midtown Atlanta. The South held theirs in the outdoor premises of Sacred Heart Church in Warner Robins.

We were blessed with perfect weather – sunny, mild temperature (low 80’s) and less humid. What a beautiful day to walk and enjoy fellowship with our CFC brothers and sisters.

Shortly after 8 AM, ANCOP coordinator for Georgia and one of the Southeast Directors, Butch Gruta, assembled everyone in a pavilion at Piedmont Park. After a brief prayer and instruction, Bro. Butch announced the start of the Walk.

Piedmont Park is huge so we chose to walk on the oval which measures 0.68 miles. Most of the participants walked 3 rounds and the rest did 5 or more.

Snacks were served. At 10:30 AM, we closed our activity with a short prayer of thanksgiving.

We would like to thank our supporters – family, friends, and co-workers- who generously replied to our appeal for financial help to provide quality education to children in poor communities in the Philippines.

As of this date, we have gathered $2,200 and by God’s grace, we may get more as we are still waiting for sponsors to turn in their donation until Sept. 30. Indeed, God‘s provision is amazing and truly manifested through the generous hearts of His people.

To view ANCOP Walk photos taken in different Walk sites around the U.S., please click: http://picasaweb.google.com/100044023468004895506?authkey=Gv1sRgCJujzenSyqvOqwE

(The ANCOP U.S.A. Communications Group would like to thank all brothers and sistersin CFC/ANCOP who contributed to this Bulletin. God bless us all!)