Wittenberg University will host its annual CROP Walk on Saturday, April 17, to raise funds and awareness to fight hunger locally and globally.

Sponsored by the Weaver Chapel Association and the Susan Hirt Hagen Center for Civic and Urban Engagement, the walk is coordinated this year by Olivia Riddle ’21 of Cincinnati, Ohio, who is president of Weaver Chapel Association and the outgoing Interfaith Committee senator, and Gabrielle Doty ’23 of Northfield, Ohio, who is a community engagement coordinator at the Hagen Center. The three-mile walk will begin at noon and be divided into groups leaving in 15-minute intervals with participants being required to wear a mask and maintain distance from others while walking to keep with all COVID-19 rules.

This year’s route begins on Alumni Way, continues toward downtown Springfield, and through the South Fountain Avenue neighborhood with a snack break halfway through before heading back to campus.

CROP Walks fight hunger close to home and around the world using local resources and people to provide solutions to hunger and food insecurity that are sustainable and managed effectively. Wittenberg has hosted a CROP Walk since 1971. Whenever possible, these walks support long-term solutions, but they also respond to emergency situations, drought, famine, and disasters. CROP is administered by Church World Services (CWS) an agency that pulls together over 35 denominations to address poverty, hunger, and disaster response. Approximately 25 percent of the proceeds stay here in Clark County to address food insecurity through the Second Harvest Food pantry with the remaining proceeds fighting hunger throughout the world through CWS. Today, CROP Walks take place in more than 2,000 communities, and approximately five million participants have been involved in more than 36,000 walks the past two decades.

Register to walk online, and/or donate online by going to Wittenberg’s CROP Walk page here.

All members of the Wittenberg community are welcome to join in, even if you don’t want to raise funds. If you are planning to walk with friends, make sure you all sign up for the same group. Each group has 10 available spots.  

After registering, go to http://www.events.crophungerwalk.org/2021/event/springfieldoh to start fundraising. Click ‘join or start a team’ then join the team with the number that corresponds with your group. Send that page to friends and family, and share it on social media. Every donation counts, no matter how small.

For any questions, please contact Riddle (riddleo@wittenberg.edu) or Doty (dotyg@wittenberg.edu).