This past Sunday the 18th at the Waterfront, passing walkers grinned as Kyle Fowler (11) stood by the side of the road, holding up a sign that said “Put a fork in hunger!”

“Put a fork in it!” Fowler shouted, egging the Hunger Walk participants on as they trekked up River Road, talking amongst themselves and cheering on Hunger Walk runners passing in the opposite lane.

“I like to support any good cause,” Fowler said.

The sky was grey and the air was chilly on the day of this year’s Hunger Walk, but hundreds of people still showed up to the Waterfront for the event, crowding the sidewalks and filling the sponsors’ tents in preparation for the 5K that would raise several hundred thousand dollars for the Dare to Care food bank and the United Nations’ World Food Program.

The walk took place Sunday, September 18; registration began at 12:30 p.m., and the walk began at 2:15 p.m.

Fowler attended the walk with several members of the cross country team, including Mattie Gottbrath (10), Mary King (10), and Anna Seiler (9).

“It’s getting us volunteer hours for Y Club, for KYA, and our coach really wanted us to [walk],” Gottbrath said.

An alumni Manual Cross Country runner had visited the team a few weeks prior to the walk, asking students to help out and passing out informational packets. Every year, the team does a community project; the Hunger Walk was this year’s.

“It lets us show support for local people who run,” Seiler said. “And this lets people know [running’s] fun, and you don’t necessarily have to be good at it.”

Several other Manual students also attended the walk, including Claire Lockard, who was with the Central Presbyterian Church youth group.

“I like the youth group because we try to support good causes,” Lockard said, whose group raised an $800 donation for the event. “With the economy so bad, I think hunger is a really important cause this year,” she said.

Other students in attendance included Michiel van Zyl (11), running with his dad; Patrick Frentz (11) and Richard Ballard (12), with Harvey Browne Memorial Presbyterian Church; Dean Gnadinger (11), playing music with Epiphany Youth Ministry; Rachel Bunger (11) with the Crescent Hill Baptist Church youth group, which raised $1037.50 for the event; and Sara Assef (11) for Key Club, among others.

This is Assef’s first year actually walking in the event, but her second year attending. “I did it last year for Key Club; I thought it was a good cause,” Assef said. “I’d never heard of it before. It was fun, I got to cheer people on by the side of the road!”

 
Zoe Schaver is a copy editor for Manual RedEye and a Student Life section editor for the Crimson Yearbook. She is also a member of Manual’s debate team, Gay/Straight Alliance, and Young Democrats club.