38 years of local CROP Walks raise $698,000

According to Church World Service’s official records this will be the 38th year that Spokane has hosted a CROP Hunger Walk.

Locally over those years, there have been nearly 14,000 participants and nearly $698,000 raised, said Randy Goss, chair of the local planning committee.

The 2015 CROP Hunger Walk begins with registration at noon on Sunday, April 26, at the Spokane Community College Lair.  At 1:30 p.m., walkers will then proceed along the Centennial Trail and back.

This year the Spokane CROP Walk will share 25 percent of its proceeds with Family Promise of Spokane and Greater Spokane Meals on Wheels.

“This helps these two agencies, because much of their funding depends upon the generosity of the people of Spokane,” he said.

CROP Walk was started in 1946, born from a grassroots movement after World War II to provide wheat for hungry people, eventually forming Church World Service (CWS).  Today CWS is a cooperative ministry of 35 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican denominations that provide self-help development, disaster relief and refugee assistance worldwide.

“I have heard some people say that although this is a worthy cause they prefer to support events where all the monies raised stay in Spokane,” Randy said.  “I believe it is up to every one of us to do what we can to help our brothers and sisters not only locally but also nationally and internationally.

“So much can be accomplished if many people do just a small part,” he said.

Spokane’s walk is one of 2,000 held in communities around the United States.

This year’s Spokane CROP Walk has some additions.

Along with local talent performing before the walk, there will be prizes offered in gift baskets from local businesses.

CWS has been helping people in the United States and worldwide to fight hunger, deal with the need for clean drinking water and help with natural disasters.

Susan Heitstumen of Family Promise reported that 18 congregations participated in the 2014 CROP Hunger Walk in Spokane, raising $12,734. 

Those congregations are St. Stephen’s Episcopal and the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection; Audubon Park, Moran, Spokane Valley and Trinity United Methodist; Westminster Congregational United Church of Christ (UCC) and Shalom Mennonite/UCC; Country Homes and North Hill Christian; Colbert, Hamblen Park, Millwood and Northwood Presbyterian, and Messiah, Peace, Prince of Peace and St. Mark’s Lutheran.

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