Posted by MacKenna Lewis
The Church World Service and interdenominational religious groups organize more than 16,000 CROP Walks around the nation each year to raise money to eradicate hunger and poverty and to promote peace and justice.
The service gives assistance around the world and was one of the first groups to respond after Hurricane Katrina.
The CROP Walk is one of the Church World Service's largest events, and the group relies on CROP Walks for approximately $15 million of its $70 million yearly budget.
The 31st annual Saratoga CROP Walk will take place at 1 p.m. on Sunday Oct. 17.
"The number of people, primarily women and children,?who die each day, world-wide, of starvation, lack of access to clean water and diseases that are?caused by?these conditions, is approximately equal to the population of Saratoga Springs.? So the equivalent of our entire city is being wiped out each day by something that is entirely preventable," said Ken Klotz, former mayor of Saratoga and co-organizer of this year's Saratoga CROP Walk.
Each year in Saratoga between 60 and 150 people attend the two-mile walk down North Broadway. This year, about 30 Skidmore students have signed up to attend.
"The Church World Service tries to raise money for hunger issues. That includes anything from having to walk hours a day to get water to feed your crops, to just straight out starvation because you don't have the means to grow your own food," said Sarah Minney '13, the Benef-Action liaison for this year's CROP Walk.
A quarter of this year's profits will go to the Saratoga County Economy Opportunity Council, the county's anti-poverty agency. Church World Service will distribute the remaining funds around the world.
Benef-Action's goal for this year's CROP Walk is to raise $1,000. The organizers hope that each participant will donate $10 and will also ask 10 friends to donate the same amount.
"The best way to look at it is instead of buying three cups of coffee a day, only buy two and donate the money you saved during those two weeks. We do need a lot of money, obviously, but people don't realize that even donating $5 does a lot," Minney said.
Skidmore's team will meet for the event at 1 p.m. Oct. 17 by the Spirit of Life statue in Congress Park.
To find out more about the event, search "CROP Walk – Saratoga Springs, NY" on Facebook, or join Benef-Action's team online at www.churchworldservice.org/goto/SkidBenef-ActionMacKenna Lewis
Contributing Writer
The Church World Service and interdenominational religious groups organize more than 16,000 CROP Walks around the nation each year to raise money to eradicate hunger and poverty and to promote peace and justice.
The service gives assistance around the world and was one of the first groups to respond after Hurricane Katrina.
The CROP Walk is one of the Church World Service's largest events, and the group relies on CROP Walks for approximately $15 million of its $70 million yearly budget.
The 31st annual Saratoga CROP Walk will take place at 1 p.m. on Sunday Oct. 17.
"The number of people, primarily women and children,?who die each day, world-wide, of starvation, lack of access to clean water and diseases that are?caused by?these conditions, is approximately equal to the population of Saratoga Springs.? So the equivalent of our entire city is being wiped out each day by something that is entirely preventable," said Ken Klotz, former mayor of Saratoga and co-organizer of this year's Saratoga CROP Walk.
Each year in Saratoga between 60 and 150 people attend the two-mile walk down North Broadway. This year, about 30 Skidmore students have signed up to attend.
"The Church World Service tries to raise money for hunger issues. That includes anything from having to walk hours a day to get water to feed your crops, to just straight out starvation because you don't have the means to grow your own food," said Sarah Minney '13, the Benef-Action liaison for this year's CROP Walk.
A quarter of this year's profits will go to the Saratoga County Economy Opportunity Council, the county's anti-poverty agency. Church World Service will distribute the remaining funds around the world.
Benef-Action's goal for this year's CROP Walk is to raise $1,000. The organizers hope that each participant will donate $10 and will also ask 10 friends to donate the same amount.
"The best way to look at it is instead of buying three cups of coffee a day, only buy two and donate the money you saved during those two weeks. We do need a lot of money, obviously, but people don't realize that even donating $5 does a lot," Minney said.
Skidmore's team will meet for the event at 1 p.m. Oct. 17 by the Spirit of Life statue in Congress Park.
To find out more about the event, search "CROP Walk – Saratoga Springs, NY" on Facebook, or join Benef-Action's team online at www.churchworldservice.org/goto/SkidBenef-Action.