Hundreds turn out for Focus:Hope walk in Detroit

Christine MacDonald / The Detroit News DETROIT -- The tough economic times facing Metro Detroit and Michigan were on the minds of many of the hundreds of Focus:Hope supporters who came out Sunday to commemorate the nonprofit organization's 40th anniversary at its annual diversity walk. Laronda Chastang of Romulus and her family spent the afternoon on the four-mile walk, hoping to lend their aid to the group, which she said has done so much, from opening food pantries to hosting job training centers. And she said she sees the need growing as the economy continues to sour. "You have to support the legacy," Chastang said as her daughter Kennedy, 6, and son Miles, 3, walked alongside. "It's such an awesome event. "The need is so great now. This is not a time to draw back." The group was formed in 1968 after the Detroit riots,... [read full story]