Orange stickers with the phrase: “Help CROP Stop Hunger” adorned the chests of every CROP Hunger Walk participant Sunday. The fundraiser, sponsored by Church World Services, is an annual event to aid in hunger and poverty relief on a local and global scale.  

“Hunger is something that should not exist in our world,” said Jenn Madrid Thorson, a WSU graduate student participating in the Crop Hunger Walk this year.  

The nation has enough food to feed everybody, and it’s just unfair that they don’t, Thorson said. Providing clean water is also a concern of hers, especially involving women who must walk to find water, sometimes skipping school. Bad things occur while they’re on the road, she said  

“People in the Unites States are often not very aware of how much hunger and clean water issues that exist in the world,"she said."So just letting people know that there are many people out there who don’t have food, even though we do have enough food to feed everybody.”

This is Madrid Thorson’s first year participating in the CROP Hunger Walk and she was excited for the event to get underway.  

“Hunger is a big issue, one that we have right here in Pullman,” said Lisa Carloye, clinical assistant professor of the Biology Department at WSU.  

More than 150 people came to participate in this years CROP Hunger Walk. 

“A lot of youth were here, especially junior high groups and families, with dogs and pets,” said Nancy Mack, chair of the Pullman-Moscow CROP Hunger Walk. 

All participants looked like they were eager to make their commitment both with their feet and their minds, she said.  

“I think the (CROP Hunger Walk) serves as a great reminder to all of us, that a few of us are full and many of us, as human beings on this planet, are hungry,"said Rev. Kevin Codd, pastor of the St. Thomas More Catholic Church at WSU."And that’s not fair and it’s not just. Anything we can do to alleviate that imbalance in the world is really important." 

Of the large groups gathered to participate, the largest was from the Moscow First United Methodist Church, who gathered with their youth of the church, along with young adults from the Campus Christian Center at the University of Idaho.  

“This is one of the great service projects that we want to be involved with every year, and we’re here again this year,” said John Morse, the United Methodist campus pastor.

The Moscow United Methodist Church group came out for the fundraiser Sunday because they really wanted to be a part of it, and really love to walk, he said.  

“Unless you put yourself in a situation where you’re helping others, you can’t be exposed to what’s really out there,” said Cyrus Hicks, a UI junior music theory major who was with the group. 

In the past 27 years, the Pullman-Moscow CROP Hunger Walk has raised more than $299,000, Mack said. The CROP Hunger Walk raises their goal only slightly every year. Last year’s goal of $18,000, was almost reached by the Pullman-Moscow community. Whether this year’s goal of $19,000 was met will not be known until December, she said.  

“It seems when times are tight, people want to give more money," said Jack Alexander, a member of the Pullman Child Welfare food bank. "They’re more aware of the need to donate."