July 18, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

“Walk To Africa” Returns Next Saturday In Santa Monica; Still Time To Sign Up:

On Dr. Bob Hamilton’s latest trip to Tanzania, Africa, the Santa Monica pediatrician witnessed buffalo stampeding across the Serengeti, the peak of Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro and the edges of Africa’s largest lake, Victoria.

But Hamilton didn’t travel to sight see.

He was in Tanzania to treat African children with cancer, malaria, burns, swollen lymph nodes, abscessed teeth and cerebral palsy, among other afflictions.

From consultations to treatment to medication, the services are all free of charge.

Hamilton, or as many affectionately call him “Dr. Bob,” has gone to Africa 22 times in the last 17 years as coordinator for Lighthouse Medical Missions, a bi-annual short-term medical mission that sends volunteer doctors, nurses and assistants to clinics in mostly African villages.

Since he returned from Tanzania in March, Hamilton and others have been organizing the seventh annual Walk to Africa, a Santa Monica walk-a-thon that raises the bulk of money for Lighthouse Medical Missions’ overseas clinics.

On Saturday, May 16, at 8 am, hundreds of people will start at Crescent Bay Park, 2000 Ocean Ave., for an eight-mile trek along Santa Monica streets and parks.

The idea, Hamilton said, is that if 1,000 people walk eight miles, they will have trekked the distance from here to Africa.

“We’re blessed in America, we have an abundance, we have so much and we have so much to be thankful for,” Hamilton said. “We can make a tangible difference in the lives of real people. That’s an important thing. We’re right there with the people.”

Along with the eight-mile athletic walk is a four-mile intermediary and two-mile children’s walk.

“It is scenic, it is green, it is healthy, it is the beach, it is Santa Monica, it is springtime,” Hamilton said.

Along the routes will be water stations sponsored by countries where Lighthouse Medical Missions has held clinics, like Sierra Leone, Liberia and The Gambia. And at the Family Fun Zone, Los Angeles-based kid’s band, Twinkle Time, is set to perform.

“This is a family event,” said Patricia Peterson, the fundraising administrative arm for Lighthouse Medical Mission. She has been involved with every facet of Walk to Africa, from promotion to finding corporate sponsorship to securing donors for the goody bags (which this year includes gifts like t-shirts, Cliff Bars and compression socks).

Peterson, who’s been to Africa twice, stressed the importance of what Walk to Africa does for Lighthouse Medical Mission and the African people they touch.

“Where there’s a need, there’s a way to get there,” Peterson said.

Since 1988, Lighthouse Medical Missions has brought over 500 Americans to Africa, given medical care to over 50,000 people and raised over half a million dollars to do so.

But the walk-a-thon isn’t the only way Lighthouse Medical Missions has raised money in the past.

One volunteer, Cherry Ying, sophomore at Pacifica Christian High School, was captured by Hamilton and others’ work in Africa after listening to a presentation the doctor gave at her school last year.

She went back to China that summer and started a fundraiser on the streets with her friends to raise money for the cause, unbeknown to Hamilton. They sold hand-drawn T-shirt and hat designs, stuffed animals and toys and raised about 2,000 yuan, or $300.

She explained that in China, the focus of charity is on rural, impoverished villages in their own country and not outside of there.

“In my first year I came here and I saw, ‘Wow there’s this whole [other] world, people in Africa,’” Ying said in Hamilton’s pediatric office, where she goes after school to shadow him. “A lot of people need help.”

And the team doesn’t stop at medical services – they build schools and churches, often because they need a place to house the clinic.

Santa Monica-local Johnny Huerta, 26, traveled with the 28-person team this year to Tanzania and got to witness first-hand the work Lighthouse Medical Missions did on the ground.

Huerta, whose family owns the Gilbert’s El Indio restaurant, is a relatively new member of the Lighthouse church on 20th and Wilshire Blvd. Like Patricia Peterson, while he didn’t provide medical aid, he was still able to help the staff and patients alike. He also served as the team’s unofficial photographer, chronicling the six-day trip.

“One of the things that was very powerful throughout this trip was how we continually prayed throughout the trip for the patients and for our own strength to take on the workload that was in front of us,” Huerta said.

He helped dole out pills at the makeshift pharmacy and escorted patients from doctor to doctor. After, Huerta would bring people to the “prayer station.”

“Keeping Jesus at the center was key,” he said. “It was amazing to watch the power of Christ and medication working together.”

Individual or team walkers can still register for $35 online at walktoafrica.dojiggy.com. Sponsors and donations can also be made there.

“We will take everything that people want to give, like omnivores,” Hamilton said.

For more information, or to register or volunteer, call 310.367.0094.

in News
<>Related Posts

Man Arrested in Brentwood for Impersonating Firefighter During Palisades Fire

July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025

The suspect faces at least 28 criminal counts—including 23 felonies—spanning incidents from 2023 to May 2025 Federal and local law...

West Coast Premiere of ‘The Opposite of Love’ Opens at Hudson Backstage Theatre

July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025

Produced by Neil Gooding Productions, behind shows like Back to the Future: The Musical, the play runs Thursdays through Saturdays at...

Study Highlights Economic Impact of Cap-and-Trade Extension in Los Angeles

July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025

Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders are pushing to reauthorize the program this year, citing its role in generating 287,000...

Film Review: Superman

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025

“This movie is packed with storyline, Superman lore, meaningful objects, and action.” writes Kathryn Whitney Boole Rated PG-13129 MinutesReleased July...

Multiple Drug Arrests Reported in Palisades Park in Recent Weeks

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025

SMPD Reported Several of the Arrests Between June 29 and July 5 The Santa Monica Police Department reported several drug-related...

(Video) Did You Know Emma Chamberlain’s Coffee Shop is in Century City?

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025

The outpost is a first for the popular influencer Did You Know Emma Chamberlain’s Coffee Shop is in Century City?...

Mayor Bass Hails National Guard Withdrawal as Victory for Unity

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025

The Pentagon’s decision to reduce the troop presence follows weeks of legal challenges and public demonstrations Mayor Karen Bass celebrated...

DUI Checkpoints to be Conducted Across LA This Weekend

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The LAPD selects checkpoint sites based on data indicating high incidents of impaired driving-related crashes and arrests The Los Angeles...

SMPD to Conduct Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Operation on Friday

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The focus will be on speeding, illegal turns, failing to yield or provide right of way to cyclists or walkers,...

Dodgers to Host Back to School Bash for Fire-Affected Families

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The free event will offer free groceries, school supplies, outfits, haircuts, medical screenings, and carnival rides The Los Angeles Dodgers...

LA Sees Second Straight Year of Homelessness Decline, Leaders Celebrate Progress

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The survey, designed by the University of Southern California, reported a 17.5% drop—the largest two-year decrease on record The Los...

LAPD Seeks Missing 63-Year-Old Man Known to Frequent Playa Vista

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

His family last heard from him via a group text on June 22 The Los Angeles Police Department’s Missing Persons...

Santa Monica Offers City-Owned Properties for Affordable Housing Development

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

The move aims to address the city’s Regional Housing Need Assessment of 8,895 units, with a goal of producing at...

California Hits Two-Thirds Clean Energy Milestone

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

This year, clean energy has powered the state for an average of seven hours daily, with over 90% of days...

Venice Beach to Host First Medal at 2028 Olympics

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

Venice Beach, known for its vibrant boardwalk, will kick off the 844 ticketed events, hosting the triathlon along its coastline...