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South DuPage CROP Hunger WALK

25th Anniversary Walk

Date:	Sunday, October 17, 2010
Time:	Registration - 1:30pm Walk Begins - 2:00pm
Location:	Gloria Dei Lutheran Church (Across Main St. from Downers Grove North H.S.)

Recruiter Rally

September 11, 2010

All recruiters for this year's South DuPage CROP Hunger Walk are invited to our Rally Day held in Woodridge United Methodist Church, 2700 W. 75th St., Woodridge, IL 60517 (map) on Saturday, September 11. Come and join us for breakfast before learning about the programs of Church World Service and the local hunger agencies that the South DuPage CROP Hunger Walk supports. Pick up resources that can help your recruiting efforts, learn about online pledges and sign out pledge envelopes for your church or organization.

8:30-9:00am	Breakfast
9:00-10:00am	Program - Introduction to the CROP Hunger Walk - News from Church World Service - Local hunger agencies - Pledging online - Envelope sign-out

Total Money Raised in 2009: $24,628.48

See the results page for a detailed breakdown of this year's donations.

| Photos from the 2009 CROP Hunger Walk |

We Walk Because They Walk!

More than 800 million people in the world go hungry every day.
More than 1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water and more than 2 billion lack sanitation.
In the last 50 years, almost 400 million people worldwide have died from hunger and poor sanitation – that’s three times the number of people killed in all wars fought in the 20th century.

How can you help? Join the South DuPage CROP Hunger Walk on its 25th anniversary! The South DuPage community have raised nearly $600,000 over the past 25 years through holding this annual CROP Hunger Walk, which helps to support the grassroots, hunger-fighting development efforts of Church World Service (CWS) partner agencies in more than 80 countries. CROP Hunger Walks help to provide tools of hope that empower people to meet their own needs. From seeds and tools, to wells and water systems, to nutrition-enhancing Moringa trees, to technical training and micro-enterprise loans, the key is people working together to identify their own development priorities--something CWS has learned through 58 years of working in partnership around the world.

When CROP began in 1947 it was an acronym for the Christian Rural Overseas Program to help Midwest farm families share their grain with hungry neighbors in post- World War II Europe. The first CROP Hunger Walk was held in Bismarck, North Dakota in 1969. Each year, some 2,000 communities across the U.S. sponsor CROP Hunger Walks. Nationally, upwards of 200 corporations match employee gifts and/or volunteer hours to the CROP Hunger Walk. Locally, thousands of businesses and media outlets support their community's CROP Hunger Walk.

Who walks?

5,487,307 CROPWALKERS in past 20 years.
68% are over 18, average age is 33.5.
73% of participants say fighting hunger locally and globally is their key reason for taking part.
53% say the CROP Hunger Walk is the only sponsored activity in which they participate.

How much money is raised?

Over $4 million is shared annually to support local hunger-fighting efforts across the U.S.
Since 1986 , $264 million has been gathered by CROP Walkers.
Since 1986, more than $570,000 has been raised by the South DuPage CROP Hunger Walk.
Since 1986, more than $143,000 has been raised for local hunger agencies.
In 2009, $24,700 was raised.
In Northern Illinois, more than 40 CROP Hunger Walks raising more than $900,000.

Who benefits?

75% of the money supports the hunger programs of the Church World Service (the outreach arm of the National Council of Churches).
25% of the money supports local hunger agencies, including Walk-In Ministry of Hope, Northern Illinois Food Bank, People's Resource Center (Westmont Pantry), Downers Grove FISH, Woodridge Community Pantry, Lisle Township Food Pantry, as well as the PADS sites at St. Mary's Catholic Church, FIrst Congregational Church and First United Methodist Church, Downers Grove.

How is the money raised?

Schools, churches and civic organizations recruit walkers who solicit donations.
Local businesses become sponsors by contributing funds

How do I join?

You may join the CROP Hunger Walk either as an individual, or as a member of one of the many participating local churches and organizations. You can see last year's list on the South DuPage results page. If you choose to walk as an individual, please contact the South DuPage coordinator, Wally Calaway (630/910-1179), in order to obtain a donation envelope. Otherwise, please obtain an envelope from your church or organization's local coordinator.

Please try to collect money from your sponsors before the walk.

Please note that you must return any donation envelope to your local coordinator even if you do not obtain any donations or are unable to walk. CROP Hunger Walk needs to be able to account for every envelope that is signed out. CROP Hunger Walk T-Shirt

Walker Incentives

Walkers raising $100 or more will receive a CROP Walk T-shirt.
All walkers will receive a tote bag.

Online Registration

It is now possible to register on the internet in order to receive credit card pledges online. You can do this in addition to or instead of collecting donations by hand.

Visit the South DuPage Pledge Page.
Click the "Register Here" button.
Click to join a team set up by one of the participating churches or organizations, or register as an individual walker. If you are a local coordinator, please create a new team if you have not done so already. There are links to existing teams on the web site navigation bar.
Read the "STATEMENT OF CONSENT". You must click "I agree" in order to register and participate in the CROP Hunger Walk. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete registration and set up your special page.
Then you are ready to e-mail friends and relatives, asking them to get involved with you in the CROP Hunger Walk and to sponsor you to make a difference in the world.
If you also have a regular donation envelope, record your online total on the envelope before bringing it to the walk.

How do I pledge?

If you know someone participating in the CROP Hunger Walk, please sponsor them to support efforts to eliminate hunger in the world. In addition to supporting them directly, it is now possible to give your pledges online.

Visit the South DuPage Pledge Page or click on one of the team links on the side bar of this page.
If you know which team they belong to, click on the team name. If they are walking independently, search for their name using the "Search" link under Top Fundraisers.
Click on the name of the person you want to sponsor in the team list.
Enter a donation, click "Continue" and follow the on-screen instructions to enter your credit card details.
Thank you for helping to make a difference in the world.