CROP Hunger Walk returns to State College for 36th year

CENTRE COUNTY, Pa. (WJAC) -- The 2019 State College CROP Hunger Walk is Sunday, October 13th. This 5K walk trails through Downtown State College and it is organized to put an end to hunger -- not only within the community, but around the world.

State College CROP Walk Coordinator Julie Kwasnica says this effort has been a tradition in Happy Valley for 36 years, "One of the reasons it started as a walk was to raise awareness for people who had to walk miles and miles a day to get fresh water or get food in the market or whatever, so it's important that you know we raise awareness about the fact that other people are having to walk. Not doing it for fun."

There are nearly 800 CROP Walks around the country every year. It is all part of a bigger effort, through Church World Service, which provides food for the hungry and for disaster relief, refugee resettlement, health clinics and much more.

"We usually raise around $20,000 a year. 25% of that money donated to our local State College Food Bank to help people right here in Centre County, the other 75% is used by Church World Service to help people in the United States and around the globe," Kwasnica says.

Organizers say community groups, students and all individuals are welcome to put their right foot forward, whether they are walking, running, pushing a stroller, in a wheelchair or taking their dog for a walk. There are usually up to 200 walkers.

Kwasnica adds that this is a particularly special year for the effort, "CROP Hunger Walk this year is celebrating its 50th anniversary, so it's a big year for us. In 1969, in Bismark, North Dakota, a group of people got together for the first walk that would later become the CROP Hunger Walk, but the first one called 'CROP Hunger Walk' was actually in York, Pennsylvania, in the spring of 1970."

Registration begins at 1:30 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, but organizers encourage people to register ahead of time online. The walk kicks of at 2:00 p.m. and is expected to wrap up by 4 p.m.

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