Run Will Help Activist Fund Convention Trip

Velma McClinton knows she can walk the walk. She’s done so every day for 12 years as a letter carrier in Van Nuys.

But on Sunday she’ll walk for the chance to talk the big talk at the Democratic National Convention.

The 38-year-old Van Nuys resident has organized a 5K run/walk fund-raiser for herself that she calls “Run for Velma.” For a $20 registration fee, McClinton hopes interested walkers and runners will help her raise $1,000 toward her expenses to the convention to be held in August in Chicago.

In February, McClinton, a novice in partisan politics, was elected by San Fernando Valley Democrats as a California delegate for the 26th Congressional District.

Her goal, she says, is to join 423 state delegates and voice her concerns about labor issues, including raising the minimum wage, regulating the cost of stamps and opposing the privatization of postal services.

“I thought [the walk] would be a lot of fun and it’s something that can be done quickly,” said McClinton, adding that 30 gallons of water has been donated by Ralphs grocery store on Sherman Way for the participants. The walk will begin at 6:30 a.m. Sunday at the Van Nuys Recreation Center, 14301 Vanowen St.

McClinton, one of 12 postal employees in California to be a convention delegate, said she and her colleagues are among just a few who have become politically active since the lifting by President Bill Clinton in 1993 of the Hatch Act, a federal statute that barred civil servants from participating in partisan political activities and fund-raising for political causes.

“I was fortunate enough to become a delegate so I could voice my opinions for the union laborers,” said McClinton, who is also a senior majoring in labor studies at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Beyond politics, McClinton also works to raise funds for local social service agencies that provide recreational activities for low-income youngsters.

“I do a lot of community service and fund-raising and as it turns out, the people who helped me the most were all [union] laborers,” McClinton said.

For information, call (818) 994-1764.