History

2007-Downtown

W4V 2007 They all lovingly walked 2 ¼ Km. in the prime streets through the downtown core, raising the level of human commitment towards universal human values of Truth, Right Conduct, Peace, Love and Non-Violence that transcend barriers of race, religion, culture and ethnicity. Thousands of onlookers, tourists, drivers and shoppers along the busy streets got the message about character development and practicing human values in our daily lives.

Held under picture perfect weather conditions, a long and disciplined corridor of men, women and children walked through the busiest streets of the city’s business district and the seat of local government, promoting and celebrating these cardinal principles of Sathya Sai Education in Human Values. The response from even the most casual passers-by was warm and welcoming. Media persons were in large numbers interviewing the key office bearers of the Sathya Sai School. The efforts of the participants were commendable and were highly appreciated as per the announcement made in the Ontario Provincial Legislature on May 30, 2006 praising the Sathya Sai School for the initiative along with the Toronto Metro Police who have been under strong support of this project.

2006-Malvern

2006 Walk On May 28, 2006 under clear and sunny skies, the students of the Sathya Sai School led around 3,000 members from the community down the streets of the Malvern area in Scarborough seeking pledges of self-improvement and transformation of the society.Conducted each year by the Parent Council of the Sathya Sai School of Canada, the theme for the last year's Walk for Values was A Walk for Me, My Family and My Community.

With each passing year, the event has grown in its appeal. Participants included Honorable Harinder Takhar, Minister of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, MPP Bas Balkissoon, City Councilor Raymond Cho and many community leaders who believed in raising the Character of the City. Apart from the grand event held in Toronto, 13 other Canadian cities 'walked the values talk,' to express their support for the universal human values propounded and exemplified by Sri Sathya Sai Baba, founder of the Toronto based Sathya Sai School.

The fourth annual Walk for Values has not gone unnoticed in the community of Malvern. From the Police Officers assigned to the route, to the many spectators at various intersections along the 4 km walk, everyone lauded the efforts in bringing joy and awareness about the values to their doorsteps. The complete absence of any monetary pledges appealed to both participants and casual observers on the route.

2005-Malvern

2005 Walk At the third annual Walk for Values of the Sathya Sai School, friends of the school turned up in unprecedented numbers to walk the talk about human values along the 4 KM distance in the Malvern community, in the east end of Toronto.

Led by Superintendent of the 42 Division of the Toronto Police Force, Superintendent Tony Warr, City Councillor Raymond Cho, Trustees of the Sri Sathya Sai Education Trust of Canada and over three thousand of the school’s supporters from around the Greater Toronto Area, the Walk for Values 2005 was a bigger success than ever before. Participants included babies in strollers to 81 year old Pauline Proulx, a school volunteer and supporter and everyone in between.

Residents of the Malvern community enjoyed the peaceful and fun walk through their neighbourhood. Many residents stood on the side walk or waved from their windows. Many of the TPS officers were carrying the values flags as a sign of solidarity. Smiling faces were seen all along the route. The live web cast of the event was made possible, bringing alive the joyful camaraderie to interested parties globally, thanks to the efforts of the techno-savvy youth. Upon the successful completion of the walk, participants received soap free hand disinfectant, drinks and refreshments.

2004-Thompson Park

Love Float They walked in unison to raise their consciousness and not money. Participants turned up at the corner of Brimley and Lawrence on Saturday, May 29 to walk the 3 km distance to Scarborough Civic Centre. During this Saturday’s pleasant weather conditions. Instead of the conventional dollar sign or a political agenda, pledges at this unusual Walk for Values included virtues such as charity, volunteering, forgiveness, compassion, punctuality, appreciation, gratitude, affection, politeness, patience and the like.

Going beyond the conventional money pledges, the participants made personal promises to change the world around them by changing themselves first. Everyone had to select a human value of their choice which they would make a part of their personal crusade to self-improve. They reminded themselves and others that individual transformation is the key to social transformation and the best route to this goal is through the practice of human values. The organizers presented a plaque to the City of Toronto on behalf of the participants giving their pledge.

2003-Malvern

Walk The Birth of the Walk for Values

Walk The Birth of the Walk for Values 2003 was a year filled with violence and sadness for Malvern. It was an area synonymous with gun violence and gangs, and these unsettling trends showed little sign of abatement. It was in that spirit, as well as in the broader spirit of community that the seed of the idea for Walk for Values began at the Sathya Sai School in Markham Ontario. There were many Walks in the past but all of them were to raise money for a particular cause or project that had a definite beginning and end date; none however had nothing whatsoever to do with money, and simply existed to foster a sense of community and bring about an overall change in the world. It was therefore fitting that the W4V in 2003 started in Malvern and ended at the very first site of the Sathya Sai School, at 5600 Finch Road on Markham.