A Rush of Support for the Former Career Specialist

On October 9, 2011, a televised flash mob sponsored by Oprah Winfrey Productions and Flash Mob America (FMA) took place at the Long Beach Pier during the Long Beach Marathon for Mr. Clint Walters, Fountain Valley High School’s former college/career specialist and guidance specialist.

Check-in and rehearsal took place prior to the actual flash mob from 7:00-10:00 AM at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center in the Long Beach Convention Center.  Participants were divided into multiple groups; friends and family of Mr. Walters were placed in the red group while students and faculty from FVHS were placed in the pink group.  Although everyone learned the choreography for Lady Gaga’s “The Edge of Glory”, those in the pink group learned only part of the dance moves to the song.

Around 10:30, participants left the Convention Center for the Long Beach Pier.  After Mr. Walters was brought on stage, he was surprised by the flash mob put on by 1,084 sporadic dancers, a majority of people whom he knew, both in the Pier Garden and within the area surrounding it.  Because the Walters family had managed to gather together more than 1,000 participants within five days, breaking FMA’s record of 310 participants, the Walters family was granted a $10,000 check to aid Mr. Walters in his battle against Follicular Lymphoma.

“I felt like crying when I saw him,” said Jennifer Temores (’13).   “I saw him in the summer with hair and now he doesn’t. When you think of someone who has cancer, you picture a bald head. And when I saw him, it became very real. After the flash mob, when they gave him $10,000, he looked so happy! I just was so glad that he was happy and his life was just made a bit easier.”

Two more of the same performances were done afterwards.  Mr. Walters’ friends and family, who were dancing in the pier garden, danced to the entire song, while everyone else, who was placed strategically in different areas surrounding the Pier Garden to make the dance seem spontaneous, entered the song during the fifth stanza.

The flash mob concluded around twelve in the afternoon.  Mr. Walters, who, despite his situation, remained cheerful and optimistic, was at a loss of words to the surprise that met him that day.

“Thank you so much for your love and support since July, when I was diagnosed.”  He’d said into the microphone.  “No one person could ask for this much.  Thank you.”