Binghamton University students and community members will walk to end hunger in the Binghamton area this Sunday at Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse’s (CHOW) annual hunger walk.
The walk, which is sponsored by the Broome County Council of Churches (BC3), will begin at 2 p.m. in front of the East Gym and continue through the 2.5-mile stretch around the Brain. Registration for the event will begin at 1 p.m.
According to Dan Livingston, a representative for the BC3, the walk is held at the end of October because it’s a time of year when utility bills typically increase and most food sources are depleted.
“The overall objective of this event is to raise enough money to stock our shelves for the winter,” Livingston said.
In an interview with News Channel 34, Ed Blaine, one of the organization’s directors, said that the CHOW warehouse generally supplies enough food for about 28 pantries. Blaine said that when a person is sent to one of the CHOW pantries, they are given enough food for five days.
Livingston said walkers are asked to collect money from friends, relatives and others in order to raise money for low-income Broome County residents.
According to Gina Juriga, graduate assistant for Volunteer Programs at the Office of Campus Life, sponsors want to spread awareness across campus, as well as in the local area, about food shortages. She said that neither the community members nor the students knew about the problem when the event began 26 years ago.
“This fundraiser began when there were more and more families in the area who didn’t know where their next meals were going to come from,” Juriga said.
The walk originally began in Otsiningo Park in Binghamton and ended on BU’s campus, Juriga said. Since then, the walk has expanded. According to Juriga, the event is now focused around the campus Brain due to the rapid increase in BU student involvement over the past years.
This year various student organizations are also involved in this project — from greek life and athletic teams to performance groups. Some of the student groups planning to participate include Alpha Phi Omega, Sigma Psi Zeta, the Student Volunteer Center, International Flag Dancers and the Black Dance Repertoire.
Juriga said the fundraiser has acted to bridge the gap between BU students and Broome County residents. Approximately 600 people participated in the walk last year. Along with community members, Binghamton students and faculty members raised over $50,000, she said, adding that the amount was a Broome County record.
This year, the BC3 is hoping for more than 700 volunteers, including students, faculty and community members.
There will be a conclusion ceremony at the end of the event, which will feature free food catered by Sodexo, a sound stage, music and carnival games. Livingston said various local politicians might also attend.