CROP Hunger Walk Coming to Cobleskill May 3

COBLESKILL — The annual Schoharie County Aggie Scott Memorial  CROP Hunger Walk will start and end at Cobleskill United Methodist Church on Sunday, May 3.

Registration starts at 1:15 with the short program at 1:30, when the Rev. Anna Blinn Cole will welcome  the Walkers. 

Step-off will immediately follow when Synod Authorized Minister Bob Holt of Helderberg Lutheran Church gives the signal  to start the Walk.

Again this year the fundraiser can be either in-person or virtual.

A virtual CROP Hunger Walk is one in which the Walker can go any distance at any time before May 3.

However, all donation envelopes from either in-person or virtual CROP Hunger Walkers must be turned into the registration table by 1:30 on May 3 for determination of awards and certificates.   

The in-person Walkers do not have to follow the 2.5-mile route if they prefer a shorter walk on May 3. The so-called ''family walk'' goes around the block in a series of right turns from Chapel Street to Union Street to Main Street  to North Grand Street and back to CUMC.

The in-person event will take place rain or shine.

Twenty-five percent of all money raised on May 3 will go to the food pantries  at our local Catholic Charities complex,  at  Cobleskill United Methodist Church and  at Sharon Springs United Methodist Church.

The remaining 75% of all money raised will go to Church World Service for its missions both in the United States and especially abroad.

Last year the local CROP Hunger Walk collected  $15,663, the most ever.

As usual, money came in after May 3, perhaps from people reading about the event in this newspaper.

Again this year Team Empie will participate in the fundraiser that the late Lee Empie valued so highly. Last year Team Empie raised $8210 of the $15663 collected.

Again this year members of the SUNY Cobleskill Christian Fellowship will participate  by doing a virtual CROP Hunger Walk on the college campus on April 29. The group's adviser, Pastor Ray Richards, will design the route and accompany them.

Members of the local CROP Hunger Walk planning team are Becky Leggieri,  Doris Leverett, John Jarvis and Tracy Smith. 

Readers seeking more information about the Schoharie County Aggie Scott Memorial CROP Hunger Walk can call 518-234-2933 for more information.