DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — A homecoming celebration kicked off in Durham on Friday morning as alumni from North Carolina Central University stepped off on a Wellness Walk just after 7:30 in the morning.

“To honor Eagles, honor those who are no longer with us, honor those who we know and love that are struggling with certain health challenges,” Esu Ma’at, class of 1994 and an organizer of the event, said.

The one mile walk, or run for some, is a chance for alumni to focus on their physical health but also to be back together with the people they went to school with many years ago.

“We’ve been at each other’s weddings, and baby showers, and so it’s love as well, this is home and this is love, and it’s a special place,” Ma’at said.

The group also raised $5,000 for a scholarship fund at the school, hoping to help out another Eagle at a place that is truly special to so many people.

“This is home, this is where we find that deep sense of belonging that we’re all looking for,” Ma’at said.