| 12/08/2004 |
| Unity walk crowd demonstrates sense of community |
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Boyertown area residents
came out in force Sunday to demonstrate "that hate and prejudice have
no place" in this community.
More than 100 people gathered for a unity walk through the streets of
Boyertown as an answer to the attempted cross-burning on the front lawn
of a family’s home in Gilbertsville on Oct. 30. Sunday’s event was
organized by the Boyertown Area Unity Coalition."Your presence here speaks volumes, that hate and prejudice have no place in the Boyertown area," said event organizer Jennifer Schlegel, as she addressed participants before the walk kicked off at the Good Shepherd United Church of Christ on Philadelphia Avenue. In addition to the walk, a "good neighbor award" was presented to Mike Ditty, the neighbor who scared off the men who tried to burn the cross on the front lawn of the Defoe family. "The best feeling is just seeing the people who came out today," a humble Ditty said after the award presentation. Although police have not yet made an arrest in the cross-burning incident, the community has rallied around the cause of bringing a suspect to justice by putting up a cash reward of $11,000 -- $5,000 from Douglass (Montgomery) Township, $5,000 from an anonymous donor and $1,000 from neighboring New Hanover Township. The walk on Sunday was another means of showing support for the victims and of making a statement that hate and prejudice will not be tolerated. "This is not just for us but the entire community," said Eudes Defoe as he busily passed out nametags before the walk. The family also received an award for accepting the community’s help after the incident. "It shows that not everyone has hate in their hearts," Defoe added. "Too many people are afraid to step up. If more people would, this wouldn’t happen anymore," said Joe Fava, of the Greenbriar Community Association at Douglass, the development in which the incident occurred. "This inspired us to have our community look for leaders," said association President Steve Vaccaro of why the "good neighbor award" was created. Fava added that the award will be presented on, at least, an annual basis. During the holiday season when many are too busy taking care of their own plans to reflect on other issues, the attendance at the walk on Sunday was impressive. Schlegel put it best as she watched the crowd grow: "This is what Boyertown is."
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