(lubavitch.com) Some 5,000 people participated in the annual “Walk4Friendship” yesterday, raising close to 500K for the Friendship Circle in Michigan.

Beginning at the flagship Meer Family Friendship Circle in West Bloomfield, MI, walkers sporting purple T-shirts with the popular Friendship Circle logo, chose between the five kilometer or one mile route to the JCC, where a large family fun-fair with rides, shows and games entertained the crowd of all ages.

Mrs. Bassie Shemtov, Co-Director of the Meer Friendship Circle said that although Sunday’s Walk4Friendship is an annual event, this year saw an unusual spike in the amount of volunteers and funds raised. “We had a software system available to volunteers for them to create their own fundraising campaign, and this enabled volunteers to use all sorts of social media to get sponsors,” explains Shemtov.

On August 18th, at a well reported “Freeze for Friendship” at the Somerset Collection in Troy, MI, an estimated 950 people froze in place in an effort to raise awareness about the Walk4Friendship 2010. This, says Shemtov, prompted a public relations agency, ‘Identity’ to offer pro bono service to the Friendship Circle’s Walk4Friendship and helped draw record numbers to this year’s walk.

“Today’s event is more than just a fundraiser,” Mrs. Shemtov said in her remarks at the opening ceremony.

“It’s about how much we can learn about acceptance and tolerance of others from these special needs kids, we struggle so much when it comes to accepting others. Society needs these kids more than they need us.”