The Manchester Enterprise
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
CROP Walk set for Sunday
By Daniel Lai, Editor
PUBLISHED: October 2, 2008
Manchester residents are taking to the streets Sunday for the 14th annual CROP Walk to help support long-term development in more than 80 countries as well as their own community.
Advertisement
Organized locally, the Manchester Area CROP Walk has set a goal of 100 walkers and hopes to raise $8,000 to help stop hunger in the community and around the world through self-help development initiatives.
"We receive 25 percent of what is raised in the community which is distributed among the area nonprofits," event coordinator Mary Sue Moore said.
Last year 60 participants raised $6,133 in the walk, which was down from previous years.
"I'm not sure why our numbers were down," Moore said. "It could've been advertising or people just didn't want to walk."
This year, a portion of the funds raised will go to the Manchester Community Resource Center, Manchester Area Senior Citizens Center and Manchester Family Services.
"I think they all depend on it to help with their expenses," Moore said.
Participating in a CROP Walk is not only for church members, Moore said. While several local church groups are organizing and recruiting walkers, Moore stressed that individuals interested in helping out with the cause are more than welcome to participate.
Those who walk for CROP raise much needed money to assist in disasters and famines, help meet the special needs of refugees as well as supporting hunger fighting efforts in Manchester.
"It's very significant because crop business all over the world benefit from the walkers," she said.
Held in over 2,000 communities nationwide, CROP Walks help to support the overall ministry of Church World Service, especially the grassroots, hunger-fighting development efforts of partner agencies in more than 80 countries by providing tools of hope that empower people to meet their own needs.
"It still surprises some Americans that there are people here in the richest nation in the world who go to bed hungry because they cannot afford to buy food," Rev. John McCullough, executive director and CEO of Church World Service, said. "These local CROP Walks, organized by individuals and faith communities in cities and towns all across the United States, raise awareness about hunger and give people a way to help both in their own communities and around the world."
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture report "Household Food Security in the United States, 2005," 11 percent of U.S. homes did not have access "to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members" at least some time during the year.
This year's walk will begin with registration at 1 p.m. at Emanuel United Church of Christ, with the walk starting at 1:30 p.m. Two routes will be offered again this year — a 1.2-mile stroll in and around the downtown area and a 3.2-mile hike. Refreshments will be served along the way and at the end of the walk. The walk will begin and end at Emanuel United Church of Christ.
The event will also feature the CROP Rock. For the second year, rocking chairs will be available for those who want to participate but find it difficult to manage the walk. Chairs will be stationed in the Emanuel Church gym.
Moore said walkers typically have sponsors who donate money to the cause.
"We encourage family members, friends and groups to sponsor our walkers this year with a donation," she said.
For more information about the CROP Walk or to sign up as a walker, contact Rev. Larry Wik at 428-4780 or 428-8495.
A Washtenaw County CROP Walk will also take place at 1:15 p.m. Oct. 12 at First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor.
Not all stories are guaranteed to appear
online. The Web edition contains a reasonable
sampling of the print edition stories.
For the most complete news coverage, we invite you to
subscribe
to the print edition of the paper.
Expanded
Web
Coverage
TOP JOBS
