Above / Find St. James Farm along Winfield Road, north of Diehl Road in Naperville, and a turn east at Butterfield Road. The walk is easily accessible at 24W1 – 2098 Butterfield Road.
Heads Up! If traveling from Naperville to Winfield Road early Sunday morning, be prepared for street closures and no parking/tow-away zones from 5AM to noon Sunday to make way for the four-hour Naperville Half Marathon and 5K Run throughout downtown and surrounding neighborhoods.
Sunday’s forecast is perfect for Step Up…simply sunny and mild!
Step Up for Little Friends will be held at picturesque St. James Farm in Warrenville on Sunday morning, Oct. 17, 2021. The return of Step Up will kick off at 9:30AM, bringing together teams from the Little Friends community for a family-friendly morning to support the organization’s mission.
Check-in begins at 8:30AM at the east entrance of the St. James Farm Forest Preserve.
Proceeds from this walk will benefit programs that provide more than 900 children and adults with diagnostics, therapies, education, counseling, housing, and vocational training.
Organizers at Little Friends are enthusiastic about re-introducing this event after hearing from many individuals who have participated in the past. Folks say they again want to “step up” in advocating for the agency as ambassadors who believe in the Little Friends’ mission.
“This is a special day for us as we bring everybody together to build awareness about our agency’s mission,” said Little Friends Vice President of Agency Advancement, Jason Altenbern, adding that other festivities are being planned for the students leading up to the day of the walk. “We anticipate a great turnout and St. James Farm is the perfect, new setting for our annual event.”
St. James Farm Forest Preserve in Warrenville, set on 595 acres, contains more than 100 acres of natural woodlands, prairies and wetlands. St. James Farm provides the perfect outing for the families looking to support Little Friends, stretch their legs along the trails, learn a little history, watch the wildlife, and enjoy the colorful autumn landscapes.
“While we are raising funds through this event, that focus is secondary. We simply want folks to learn more about Little Friends and become more aware of those we care for every day,” noted Altenbern. “Many participants are our staff and adults in our program—and all are truly excited to march with us.”
Registration information is available at www.littlefriendsinc.org/step-up-for-little-friends.
After participants register to Step Up, they can create a personal fundraising page or build a team and invite others to help increase resources for children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities.
Little Friends, Inc. since 1965
Founded in 1965, Little Friends is a human services agency operating schools, vocational training programs, community-based residential opportunities, respite family services, and the Little Friends Center for Autism, a valued resource for diagnosis, comprehensive evaluations, therapies, and training for parents and professionals.
The mission of Little Friends is to empower people of all ages experiencing autism, intellectual and emotional disabilities, and their families, to live, learn, work, and thrive in their communities.
For more information, visit www.littlefriendsinc.org.
