Close to 1,000 community members will gather together with one common goal – to help provide food for hungry neighbors in need by walking, running, and raising funds.
On May 4, Emergency Food Network will kick off Hunger Awareness Month with the Hunger Walk & 5K Run at Fort Steilacoom Park in Lakewood. Participants in this 39th annual event will walk or run in a chip-timed 5K around Waughop Lake. Family-friendly activities and live music are also provided at the start/finish line.
“The support from the community at this event will have a significant impact on hunger,” said Michelle Douglas, Chief Executive Officer at Emergency Food Network. “We expect more than 900 people to participate helping us raise more than $131,000 to provide food for families and individuals in need.”
Emergency Food Network is able to provide 5 meals for every $1 raised from the Hunger Walk & 5K Run resulting in 655,000 meals for the community.
Throughout the year, Emergency Food Network distributes a variety of food that is donated by businesses, farmers, the government, and community members. However, to ensure there is a reliable source of staple foods available for food pantries, Emergency Food Network also purchases, by the semi-truckload, seven staple items including rice, beans, oats, canned fruit, canned vegetables, frozen protein, and milk. Funds raised at events like the Hunger Walk & 5K Run help make these purchases of nutritious food possible.
Emergency Food Network has seen a great amount of support from local businesses for the Hunger Walk & 5K Run. Event sponsors include Tucci & Sons, Waste Connections, Chuckals Office Products, Click! Cable TV, Toyota Lift Northwest, Whole Foods Market, and Zack Rosenbloom & Associates.
Can’t make it to the event? You can still participate by registering as Virtual Walker to receive an online fundraising page, event t-shirt, and the same fundraising incentives as other participants.
For more information on attending or volunteering at the Hunger Walk & 5K Run visit www.efoodnet.org/HungerWalk5K.
cindy w says
what time does it start?
Ben Sclair says
Checkin starts at 7 am – www.efoodnet.org/hungerwalk2019/ for more information.