|
Thank you for making the
2009 Walk for Hunger the best ever!
|
Click on the image above to watch
the 2009 Walk for Hunger video
|
Under partly cloudy skies and trees in bloom, 44,000 people stepped out in Project Bread’s annual Walk for Hunger on Sunday, May 3. The 20-mile Walk wended through Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Watertown and Newton. The event raised $3.8 million and the funds will be given to soup kitchens, food pantries, food banks, and food salvage programs across the state. | |
Amount Raised: $3.8 million
Goal: $4.1 million
|
Thank you to everyone who participated in this year's Walk. Your support was never needed more.
>Click here to submit your 2009 Walk photos to our photo gallery.
44,000 Walkers Show Commitment to Feed Hungry Families
Project Bread’s annual Walk for Hunger raises $3.8 million, with more to go
Welcomed by Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, 44,000 people came to the Boston Common to raise millions for the hungry during Project Bread’s annual Walk for Hunger. The 20-mile pledge Walk attracted over 1,000 religious organizations, as well as 1,200 corporate teams, 1,200 schools, and 700 friends and family groups. These Walkers and their sponsors raised $3.8 million to provide food for 400 emergency food programs in 128 Massachusetts cities and towns. The funds will provide a hot meal or a bag of groceries for out-of-work families next winter.
“During these tough times, it’s heartening to see so many Walkers show their support for those struggling to put food on the table,” said Ellen Parker, executive director of Project Bread - The Walk for Hunger. “Our Walkers, Volunteers, and donors are the heroes of this event. They’ve come out to help those who are hurting as never before. We put out a call for their help and they’ve answered. Even the weather cooperated and we hope that’s sign of better days to come.”
Project Bread estimates more than 522,000 people in the state are food insecure. With foreclosures and layoffs, many more people find themselves hungry for the first time. Calls to Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline, the only comprehensive hunger resource in Massachusetts, have surged from month to month. Inquiries to the Hotline were up 61 percent for the first quarter of the year as compared with the same period in ’08. They were up 72 percent for the month of April.
The Walk for Hunger provides grants for 400 emergency food programs, including soup kitchen, food pantries, food banks, and food salvage organizations. These programs served nearly 43.4 million emergency meals last year to people who had no other place to go. Since 1969, the Walk has spurred 992,800 Walkers to tread 19,898,800 miles to raise over $74 million to help hungry people.
In these historically tough times, Parker says there is still work to be done. “The number of donations was up this year, although some of the amounts were smaller,” said Parker. “That’s gratifying but the need is so great, we’ve decided to keep Walk fundraising open throughout the month of May. Our goal is $4.1 million. I urge everyone to collect all pledge money from sponsors, and to ask about corporate matches. In times like these, we can’t allow any available money to be left on the table. Also, we ask everyone who decided not to walk to make a donation. We thank our corporate and media sponsors for their unwavering support and our Walkers, Volunteers, and donors for their commitment.”
|
|
Top 10 Participants:
1 - Michael Berardino ($7,334.00)
2 - Nimmi Trapasso ($6,868.00)
3 - Akshay Vaishnaw ($6,102.00)
4 - Mary Walling ($5,256.00)
5 - Daniel Smith ($5,100.00)
6 - Bill Hewins ($4,782.00)
7 - Jonathan Simmons ($4,528.00)
8 - Lynn Holbein ($4,500.00)
9 - Mary Ryan ($4,225.00)
10 - Monica Matthews ($4,115.00)
Top 10 Teams:
1 - Trinity Church Boston ($24,921.70)
2 - Team Arbella ($23,545.00)
3 - Autopart International ($21,156.00)
4 - National Grid "Champions of Action" ($15,410.26)
5 - The John Pierce School - Brookline ($14,650.00)
6 - The Grape Bunch ($14,421.00)
7 - The State Street Walkers ($12,702.11)
8 - Team TSDI - The Self-Defense Institute ($12,125.32)
9 - Blue Crew Walk Team ($11,736.00)
10 - Teradyne, Inc. ($11,494.00)
Top 10 Organizations:
1 - Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts ($51,369.94)
2 - Raytheon Company ($51,309.57)
3 - Arbella Insurance Group Charitable Foundation ($23,545.00)
4 - Autopart International ($21,171.00)
5 - National Grid ($15,410.26)
6 - Welch's ($14,968.00)
7 - State Street Corporation ($12,702.11)
8 - TSDI - The Self-Defense Institute ($12,125.32)
9 - Teradyne, Inc. ($11,494.00)
10 - Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation ($11,318.00)
|
