Walk4Friendship 2025: A Milestone Moment!
November 4, 2025
On Sunday, November 2, 2025, Friendship Circle Pittsburgh witnessed something extraordinary: 781 community members of all abilities flooded the streets of Squirrel Hill to celebrate friendship, inclusion, and the belief that everyone belongs.
Walk4Friendship 2025 wasn't just our largest walk yet, it was a milestone moment demonstrating how individual acts of support over nearly two decades can transform into a powerful community wide movement with a shared purpose.
By the Numbers
The day's success exceeded our expectations in every way:
- 781 walkers participated (our highest attendance ever!)
- $228,000 raised, surpassing our $215,000 goal
- 319 teams rallied together
- 836 individual donors supported our mission
- Dozens of community partners walked alongside us
Member Driven Success
Walk4Friendship stands apart as Friendship Circle's only entirely member and volunteer-driven fundraiser, and what made this year's walk truly special was the breadth of community support.
Our Teen Leadership Board, made up of students from Taylor Allderdice High School, Winchester Thurston, CAPA, and other Pittsburgh schools led creative fundraising efforts from bake sales to car washes raising over $4,000. It's inspiring to see young leaders taking ownership of a cause they believe in.
New community partners joined us for the first time, including UPMC Children's Hospital Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, University of Pittsburgh's REAACT Autism Research Program, University of Pittsburgh Women in Business, Community Day School, and The 10.27 Healing Partnership. Their presence reinforced that building an inclusive Pittsburgh requires all of us working together.
"This is what a movement looks like: not just one organization advocating for change, but an entire community walking the walk," says FCPgh Director, Rivkee Rudolph.
Honoring Leadership
The event also featured the presentation of the Fred Rock Founder's Award to Dr. Tracey Levy, recognizing her dedication to building an inclusive community and championing disability rights in Pittsburgh.
A Movement 20 Years in the Making
As we celebrate this milestone achievement and look toward Friendship Circle's 20th anniversary, we're reminded that Walk4Friendship embodies everything we've been building since 2006. Every walker, every dollar raised, every team formed represents moments of connection that have grown into a powerful movement for inclusion.
It's 781 people saying with their presence: we believe everyone belongs - and we're willing to show up and prove it.
Thank you to every walker, donor, volunteer, team captain, and community partner who made Walk4Friendship 2025 a milestone moment in FC's history. You are proof that when Pittsburgh comes together, we have the power to build movements that change lives.
Already looking forward to 2026? Stay connected with FC for updates on next year's walk and ways to get involved year-round.
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Walk4Friendship is Friendship Circle Pittsburgh's annual fundraising walk celebrating community, friendship, and disability inclusion. All proceeds support FC's mission of creating programs where youth and young adults with diverse abilities can be firmly connected in the community through friendship, wellness supports, and employment opportunities.
