Boston Scenes

Nearly 4,000 walkers from New England logged miles for miracles along the Charles River at NSTAR’s Walk for Children’s Hospital Boston this weekend. Here, two children play with bubbles at the event. The hospital’s goal was to raise more than $1.5 million at this year’s walk. The event has raised more than $3.4 million since 2003 for patient care, research and community health programs at the internationally renowned center for medical research and treatment. (Photo courtesy of Children’s Hospital Boston)

Boston Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Carol Johnson (left) is presented with a “VOTE” T-shirt by Mary Tamer, president of the League of Women Voters, Boston (LWV). Johnson was the featured speaker at the annual meeting of the league. An emotional Johnson told audience members the story of how her grandmother voted for the first time at the age of 60, and highlighted the critical role that the LWV will play in the upcoming 2008 presidential election. (Don West photo)

The Greater Springfield Chapter of Links, Incorporated, assembled last month during their 5th Annual Spring Soiree at the Crestview Country Club in Agawam, Mass.  During the event, the Links awarded Leslie “L’Kuicha” Parks of JELUPA Productions for her accomplishments in the performing arts, and Mohamud Mohamed for his work related to Somali resettlement activities. The group also gave academic scholarships to Brianna Johnson, Veronica Rawls and Jazmine Williams. (Ed Cohen photo)

Barbara Dougan, director of the Families Against Mandatory Minimums campaign in Massachusetts (standing), looks on as Ron Marlow (center) speaks at a recent meeting of the Greater Boston Civil Rights Coalition. The coalition held a reception to welcome Marlow, who was recently appointed the state’s Assistant Secretary of Access and Opportunity. (Tony Irving photo)

Nearly 500 Boston Public Schools students with disabilities from special education programs across the city participated in a variety of events, including dashes, soccer kicks, obstacle courses and more, last Tuesday, June 3, in the Boston elementary school Special Olympics, held at White Stadium in Dorchester. (From left:) Christoper Brum of Dorchester, a special education teacher at the Richard J. Murphy K-8 School; Jeron Perez of Dorchester, a third-grade student at the Murphy school; and Carolyn Riley, senior director of unified student services for the Boston Public Schools. (Photo courtesy of Boston Public Schools)

(From left:) Ron Bell, director of the Commonwealth’s Office of Civic Engagement; Boston City Councilors Chuck Turner and Michael Ross; Victoria L. Williams of the City of Boston’s Office of Civil Rights; and Felix Arroyo Jr., son of former City Councilor Felix Arroyo pose for a photo at the Union of Minority Neighborhoods’ Givers to the Community Fundraiser, held last Thursday night at the Jorge Hernandez Cultural Center. The event honored five local individuals whose work has made a difference in the lives of people of color in the communities where they live. (Tony Irving photo)

Liberia President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf delivered the graduation address during last Thursday’s commencement ceremonies for the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Johnson-Sirleaf, the first elected female president on the African continent, was a Mason Fellow who earned a master’s degree in public administration from the Kennedy School in 1971. (Don West photo)

More than 20,000 people participated in this year’s AIDS Walk Boston, held June 1. The 23rd annual walk was the most well attended in five years, exceeding the number of expected walkers and doubling the number of runners that took place in the Larry Kessler 5K Run to 600. Buoyed by the massive turnout, the event’s organizers from the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, New England’s first and largest AIDS organization, were confident that proceeds from this year’s event would total $1.2 million for the agency’s largest yearly fundraiser. (Marilyn Humphries photo)