To raise awareness and funds for local and global hunger initiatives, a group of Wittenberg students in the Weaver Chapel Association are partnering with local community members and Church World Services to host the CROP Hunger Walk on Saturday, April 12, beginning at 9 a.m.

A 2.7-mile walk through downtown Springfield, the effort will benefit Second Harvest Food Bank and the Church World Services global hunger fund with financial support through the dollars raised.

“The CROP Walk is a student-run event started by students involved with Weaver Chapel,” said education major Claire Patton, Wittenberg class of 2026 from Mason, Ohio, who is the team captain for the CROP Walk and who serves as president of the Weaver Chapel Association.

“The walk has been a longstanding tradition at Weaver Chapel; however, this is the first year it is entirely student-led. CROP Walks are designed to be community-based fundraising and awareness-building events to raise funds and awareness for hunger relief, both locally and internationally. Very few CROP Walks are run on university campuses, and even fewer are planned entirely by students.”

Patton mentioned that over 2,000 communities across the United States join in more than 1,300 CROP Hunger Walks each year. More than five million CROP hunger walkers have participated in more than 36,000 CROP Hunger Walks in the last two decades alone.

Other students helping to organize the event include Jess Neuerer, class of 2025 from Lorain, Ohio, who is a psychology and sociology double major pursuing a data science minor, serving as promotion leader; Avery Livingston, class of 2025 from Greer, South Carolina, who is a psychology and neuroscience major pursuing a minor in data science serving as the logistics leader; Abigail Anderson, class 2025 from Hamburg, New York, who is majoring in Spanish education and pursuing a minor in music as the publicity leader; Allyson Gardner, class of 2025 from Berlin Heights, Ohio, who is a German and English major, serving as a recruitment leader; Aicha-Simone Clark, class of 2028 from Whitehall, Ohio, who is a pre-engineering major and serving as the education and recruitment leader; and Ava Schiff, class of 2028 from Grove City, Ohio, who is an accounting major and serving as treasurer.

“Our goal is to raise over $1,500 in funds. Twenty-five percent of donated funds stay local in Springfield at the Second Harvest Food Bank and the other 75% goes to fighting global hunger through Church World Services,” said Patton, who is also president of Cru, the Wittenberg University Student Education Association, and the faculty student coordinator for Student Senate.

"I love being a leader of the CROP Walk because it blends my passion for service and engaging with the community," Patton added. "This year, we are excited to partner with the Hagen Center for Civic Engagement and with Covenant Presbyterian Church, who are helping us amplify our hunger-fighting message on campus and in the Springfield community. We walk because we know we are helping make a difference."

Everyone in the Springfield Community is invited to be a CROP Hunger Walk participant. Individuals can donate or register to walk online by clicking here.

Walk registration begins at 9 a.m. followed by the walk at 9:30 a.m. Participants should meet in the parking lot in front of the Hagen Center located at 734 Woodlawn Ave.