Wallace also appeared in televised interviews on local CBS and Fox newscasts, helping the nonprofit achieve its goal of increasing public awareness about the walk. The comedian promoted the event alongside Easter Seals Southern Nevada C.E.O. Brian Patchett, as well one of the event’s “honorary ambassadors”—walk participants with disabilities who have benefited from Easter Seals’ programs. “One of the things we really wanted to make clear is that people actually get to walk with honorary ambassadors,” Lang said. “We really wanted to drive home the point that you could get to know one of the 6,000 people we serve, because the walk really is a community engagement tool as much as it is a fund-raiser.”
To that end, the Easter Seals’ team assigned each walk participant to an ambassador, providing links to their personal stories, and reached out to local groups in an effort to recruit walkers. Lang and Fox targeted families in particular, approaching groups at the Girls and Boys Club and Y.M.C.A., and even mothers at playgrounds, as the walk featured child ambassadors and a post-event Easter carnival with kid-friendly activities such as an egg hunt and photo opportunities with the Easter bunny.
While the walk attracted about 400 walkers, an additional 200 locals attended the carnival, each providing a $5 donation at the door. In total, the event raised about $40,000.
