Pastor's Column
September 2002
CROP Walk


"Each year more than a quarter million CROPWALKERS put their hearts and soles in motion to help stop hunger, one step at a time, in some 2,000 locally-organized CROP WALKS and other community events."

I have been the CROP walk coordinator for a couple of walks. This year I am organizing a walk for September 22nd at 2:00 P.M. We will walk from Biwabik out to the Embarrass Pit road and back. The weather will be beautiful that day, and if it isn’t, we will walk anyway.

Here are some interesting facts and figures that show how you can make a difference!


When you CROPWALK, you're:

    * Supporting long-term development in more than 80 countries
    * Assisting in disasters and famines
    * Helping meet the special needs of refugees
    * Sharing more than $4,000,000 annually to support local hunger fighting efforts across the U.S.
    * Getting some exercise, too!

Profile of a CROPWALKER

    * 68% are over 18, average age is 33.5
    * About two-thirds are women
    * 64% of CROPWALKERS over age 18 have a college or advanced degree, half are professionally employed in their communities
    * Half are CROPWALKING for their second, third, fourth, or more time
    * 73% of participants say fighting hunger locally and globally is their key reason for taking part
    * 53% say the CROP WALK is the only fund-raising marathon-type activity in which they participate
    * Walkers get about 95% of their sponsors from their neighborhood, workplace, family, and place of worship


CROP WALKS: Our Numbers Make a Difference

    * 242,143 CROPWALKERS in 2000
    * 4,329,587 Walkers over the past 15 years
    * 1,933 CROP WALKS and other community events in 2000
    * 27,309 CROP WALKS in the past decade and a half
    * Food banks, pantries, and other local hunger-fighting agencies received checks from CROP WALKS in 2000 totaling more than $4 million
    * More than 190 corporations match employee gifts and/or volunteer hours to the CROP WALK
    * $199,246,304 Raised by CROPWALKERS over the past fifteen years

Last year Sylvia Maki and I joined a CROP walk and walked six miles in Hibbing. Several years ago, Phillip, Rebecca, Kathie and I joined our first CROP walk in Long Prarie, MN. I’m certain that Rebecca was younger than 12 at the time. Therefore, unless you are older than Sylvia Maki, or younger than 12, please don’t tell me you are too old or too young to walk.

There may even be benefits for being young and old. A few years back, my dad got a prize for being the oldest walker at a six mile walk for the American Diabetes Association in Duluth. It was a gift certificate and I think he might have bought golf shoes with it.

Seriously, I hope many of you will sign up to walk on September 22nd. Let’s get out and raise some big bucks to fight hunger here and around the world. May God bless you all.

Sincerely,

Pastor Birk