CROP Walk 2011

Sunday, October 02, 1:00pm

CROP (Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty) Walk is a community-wide event sponsored by Church World Service and organized by local congregations to raise funds to end hunger at home and around the world.

CROP Walk is a five-mile walk through the town of Abingdon to support this effort. Hungry people in developing countries typically walk as much as six miles a day to get food, water and fuel, and to take their goods to market.  We walk to be in solidarity with their struggle for existence.

The CROP Walk will take place Sun., Oct. 2, beginning at the Coomes Recreation Center in Abingdon. Registration begins at 1:30 p.m., the walk begins at 2 p.m. Emory & Henry students can carpool by meeting in the Chapel parking lot at 1 p.m.

75 percent of our walk’s proceeds will support the Church World Service which works in more than 80 countries, including the U.S., to provide food, medical care, refugee assistance and education, to those in need. Twenty-five percent will stay in the local community, going to the Stone Soup Food Pantry, which serves approximately 800 families per month.

Walkers may ask for pledges from friends and family and bring donations the day of the walk or turn it in later at Abingdon United Methodist (628-2321) or at St. John Lutheran (628-6215) as late as Dec. 1. Checks should be made out to CWS/CROP.

Each walker should also bring one or two cans of food the day of the walk.

There will be water stops along the route, and a van and nurse will travel the route for anyone needing help.

T-shirts go to the first 125 walkers who collect pledges of $40 or more.

If you have any questions, contact Mary K Briggs (Spiritual Life, mkbriggs@ehc.edu) or Shai Cullop (Appalachian Center, scullop@ehc.edu). Donation envelopes are available in either office. This opportunity is co-sponsored by The Spark and the Appalachian Center for Community Service.