From press release

With only a few weeks left for turning in receipts, the 23d Annual Rockford Area CROP Hunger Walk raised 85 percent of their $35,000 goal, with just more than $30,000 turned in by 289 walkers from 51 schools and congregations.

“It’s still a good amount,” said The Rev. David Jones, CROP Hunger Walk chairman. “We are only $2,000 from last year’s receipts of $32,000.”

Second Congregational Church led the giving, with $4,787 turned in by their walkers, who were all decked out in chartreuse-colored T-shirts. First Presbyterian Church came in second with $1,544, and third was Woodside Congregational UCC at $1,405. A full report will be submitted after Thanksgiving and just before Christmas (these results are preliminary and could be increased).

Sunday, Oct. 18, could not have been a better day. The walkers were decked out in “Indian Summer” fare, and, at 2 p.m., stepped off from the Riverfront Museum Park, 711 N. Main St. for a 4-mile walk to raise funds for world and local hunger relief.

Jones announced the corporate sponsors and thanked the participants of the walk. Donations will still be accepted at any of the 51 participants, or at JustGoods fair trade market, 201 Seventh St., 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Donations will still be accepted past Thanksgiving.

CROP stands for “Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty.” Donations are raised through cash sponsorships solicited by the walkers themselves, based upon their completion of the 4-mile walk. (This year, more than $2,000 was raised through online donors at churchworldservice.org ^[1]).

Local food pantries will receive 25 percent of the money raised to help feed hungry people. The remaining 75 percent will go through Church World Service (celebrating 60 years) and other international relief agencies to provide food and disaster relief in more than 70 countries. People are welcome to donate. More local information: (815) 964-7111 or (815) 540-3703.

This was the 23d annual Rockford Area CROP Hunger Walk. Next year’s CROP Walk is slated for Sunday, Oct. 17, 2010.

Sixty communities across the Chicago/northern Illinois area helped stomp out hunger in annual CROP Hunger Walks, including Rockford’s. Participants expect to raise awareness about hunger issues and more than $800,000 in funds to provide food and resources to hungry people in their own communities and around the world.