Milan Hosts Hunger Walk

Walkers, sponsors and volunteers gather in Milan this fall to help stock local food pantries and fight hunger worldwide.

The CROP Hunger Walk marks its 56th year as a nationwide movement to fight hunger at home and abroad.

(Milan, IN) — Ripley County residents are lacing up their sneakers to fight hunger, one step at a time. The annual Ripley County CROP Hunger Walk returns Sunday, Oct. 4, with organizers hoping to build on a year that raised more than $8,500 for local and global food programs.

Registration opens at 12:30 p.m. at Milan First Baptist Church, 112 South Main St., with the walk kicking off at 1 p.m. Participants will cover a 5K route, though a shorter “Golden Mile” option will be marked for those who can’t go the full distance.

The walk benefits food pantries in Batesville, Osgood, Delaware, Milan and Sunman. Twenty-five percent of the funds raised stay in Ripley County to stock those pantry shelves. The other 75% supports hunger-relief work across the U.S. and overseas through Church World Service, the national organization behind CROP — short for Christian Rural Overseas Programs — Hunger Walks.

$8,554.35 raised last year — a quarter of it stayed right here in Ripley County.

The tradition dates back 56 years, to a group of young people in Bismarck, North Dakota, who set out to rally their community against global hunger. It’s since grown into a nationwide movement, with local walks like Ripley County’s raising money for both hometown pantries and international relief efforts.

Organizers are calling on churches, businesses and civic groups to get involved — whether that means walking, sponsoring a walker, donating online or simply volunteering the day of the event. Prayers for the walkers count too, organizers say.

Anyone who wants to walk, build a team or pick up registration and sponsorship forms can contact event coordinator Linda Schwartz at (513) 312-2078.

A planning meeting for volunteers — including anyone who wants to pick up donation envelopes or pitch in ahead of the walk — is set for Thursday, Aug. 13, at 7 p.m. at Milan First Baptist Church.