By Heather Tassmer, Times Editor, htassmer@berksmontnews.com

For the sixth year in a row, community members teamed up for the Unity Walk in Boyertown, an event to show the town does not support racism.

The Boyertown area has seen racist acts in the past with a march through town from the Ku Klux Klan and someone attempting to burn a cross on an African American family’s lawn in Gilbertsville in 2004. A group of concerned citizens started the Unity Walk years ago in response to the incident in 2004.

Schools have become involved in the Anti-Defamation League’s No Place for Hate program and the walk is one of the many activities the school district participates in to follow the program’s message.

During the event, walk starters chanted, “No Place for Hate!”

Before the walk began, participants gathered in the parking lot of Boyertown Junior High West, Madison and Second streets, for some entertainment including moon bounces, skateboarders and music performed by David Cullen.

The Unity Walk brought all ages and different community groups together including students, Girl Scouts, various non-profit organizations, businesses and a local politician.

Before the walk started, event sponsor GiGi Malinchak asked participants to gather by the stage area. She introduced State Rep. David Kessler (D-130).

Kessler briefly spoke to the crowd and thanked them for holding the event.

“We are all the same,” the state representative said, adding that people shouldn’t be discriminated against based on skin color or hair and that people should treat others the way that they would like to be treated.

The walk not only involved coordination from the organizers but the Boyertown police.

Officers on bikes and in cars stayed in front of the crowd to help ensure safety. Fire police were at intersections to direct traffic.

The Unity Walk started at Madison and Second streets and continued past the Boyertown Area Senior High School on Fourth Street. Participants stopped by Rita’s Water Ice to see the Unity Mural, led by artist and project manager Amanda Condict.

Cindi Gans of Boyertown said she has participated in the walk for five or six years. She was waiting for the event to start with her daughter and Junior High West student Ashley.

“I like to walk and it’s really nice,” Cindy Gans said.

“I see a lot of friends here,” Ashley added.

Junior High West Principal Greg Galtere said the event went well and was glad that participants had good weather this year.

“People were so enthusiastic about everything,” Galtere said.

Executive Director of the United Way of Boyertown Ken Hunt said he and other organizers invited people from other communities such as the Pine Forge Academy and Pottstown.

Hunt said he was glad that people from Pine Forge Academy could attend.

Organizers are trying to get more exposure and have people from surrounding areas attend the event so they can see Boyertown is an “accepting community,” he said.

Samuel Richards, a Junior High East student, walked with the ROTC.

“This event is against prejudice,” he said. “It meant a lot to me and to the community.”

Richards said he thinks the area has improved throughout the years with not seeing as much racism.

“There are still racist people out there,” he said.

Unity Walk sponsors included The United Way of Boyertown, Boyertown Area School District, the Boyertown Area YMCA, GiGi’s at Home Pet Care, Berks County Community Foundation, National Penn Bank, Berks-Mont Newspapers, Creative Health Services Inc., Nancy Boyer, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Pottstown, Clothes to Home, The Angus Family, Helping Hands, Inc., Gerhart, Hartman & Ritner Insurance, Graber Letterin’, and the Boyertown Area Unity Coalition.