St. Robert has the highest minority population in Pulaski County and Mayor George Sanders is the county’s only minority mayor. As the invited speaker for a planned pause in Saturday’s “diversity walk” from Fort Leonard Wood to Waynesville, Sanders said during Monday night’s city council meeting that he’d like to see city council members and residents turn out for the planned 10 a.m. speech in St. Robert.
“I will talk about the diversity of our city and what we have to offer here in the city,” Sanders said. “I hope we can get good support. We’re going have about 3,500 people out there, so we should have a good crowd out there to hear me speak.”
The Diversity Walk route will run from Fort Leonard Wood up Missouri Avenue and then on Route 66 to the Waynesville City Park.
“I hope that everybody can make it,” Sanders said. “This is the first time they have had the diversity walk and we are a diversified city so I think we can tell a lot about what’s going on here.”
The planned walk to Waynesville City Park may leave some walkers without a way to get back to St. Robert. Cecilia Murray, the director of the Waynesville-St. Robert Chamber of Commerce, has asked local businesses and residents to consider providing transportation back from the Waynesville City Park to the St. Robert Municipal Center.
Those interested in providing transportation about 2 p.m. Saturday may contact Murray by phone at 336-5121.
According to post officials from the Equal Opportunity Office, the community walk is designed to further enhance and solidify the relationships between the Fort Leonard Wood and the St. Robert, Waynesville, Rolla and Lebanon communities by joining together on a fun, non-competitive and entertaining event.
Those wishing more information about registration and the route may contact Sgt. 1st Class Felicia Alston at 596-0131, ext. 61013, or visit http://www.wood.army.mil