Annual CROP Walk to prevent hunger raises nearly $15,000 in Mount Pleasant
More than 400 people walked through Island Park and downtown Mount Pleasant to stop hunger Sunday.
Students, staff and Mount Pleasant residents gathered at the park to participate in the annual CROP Walk. CROP, Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty, is an event that offers participants an option of one-, two- or five-mile walks to combat hunger and poverty.
“The Walk is to help people around the world,” said Charlie Farnum, chairman of the CROP Walk Committee and director of Wesley Church. “Twenty-five percent of the money raised stays here in Mount Pleasant and the rest goes around the world.”
The Isabella Community Soup Kitchen, the Red Cross Food Pantry and the Salvation Army will all receive a portion of the proceeds from the CROP walk, which is sponsored internationally by the Church World Service and locally by many churches in the area.
CROP walks began in the 1960s. Since then, they have spread across the nation, with over 2,000 communities holding the walks annually. This year’s turnout was much larger than in previous years, said Mount Pleasant resident Helen Thomas, registrar of the CROP Walk Committee.
“We were hoping for 200 walkers this year, and with so many students here I think we might have went over it,” she said. “Our goal is to get $25,000.”
As the walkers came in, the amount collected was $14,675, not including online donations, Thomas said.
It was the third time Allison Mazur attended a CROP walk.
“I know it’s cliche, but I really just like helping people,” the Ludington senior said.
Among the walkers were University President George Ross, honorary chairman for the Crop Walk Committee and Dean of Students Bruce Roscoe.
Ross started off the event with a speech praising the walk for its efforts to help stop hunger.
“Thank you for caring,” Ross said. “The work you are doing here today is very important.”
The CMU Leadership Institute was also involved in organizing the walk, helping to organize and set up the event, Farnum said. Mount Pleasant businesses are also big donors for the walk.
“The majority of people who die of hunger, die within walking distance of the food they need,” Farnum said, “Hopefully we can help change that.”
