Every October, people across the country gather to fight global and local hunger by participating in Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty Walks. This Sunday marks Syracuse University’s 17th CROP Walk, an event sponsored by Students Offering Service.

‘It’s important to realize we are part of a much bigger community than just the university,’ said senior Lauren D’Angelo, organizer of the event. ‘We need to think about issues we can help tackle as students.’

The CROP Walk will begin at Hendricks Chapel at 12:30 p.m., go through downtown Syracuse and end up back on campus. D’Angelo, who also helped organize the 2005 CROP Walk, said she is expecting between 350 and 400 participants. Both monetary donations and canned goods will be accepted to help alleviate hunger, D’Angelo said.

Otto the Orange will lead this year’s walk and the Sour Citrus Society will play music along the way. The kickoff address will be given by Ariik Nyok, a Sudanese refugee and University College student who is working to create a school in Sudan. Nyok’s address will focus on the importance of thinking about global poverty, D’Angelo said.

CROP Walks were established by Church World Service, an organization that fights hunger in more than 80 countries. The first walk is believed to have taken place in Bismarck, N.D., in 1969. Since then, about 2,000 communities nationwide have sponsored CROP Walks, according to churchworldservice.org.

A large portion of monetary donations are given to Church World Service, but the money is not used to simply buy food for those in need. It also provides people with items to produce their own food, such as seeds and agricultural tools.

In addition, each CROP Walk can donate up to 25 percent of its funds to local hunger-fighting organizations.

‘Hunger isn’t just in Africa – it’s right down the street,’ D’Angelo said. ‘CROP Walk is a great way to raise awareness and get students to think outside the box in terms of helping combat world issues like hunger.’

For more information, visit www.hendricks.syr.edu/sos

Published on October 10, 2007 at 12:00 pm