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South DuPage CROP Hunger WALK

Date:	Sunday, October 14, 2007
Time:	Registration - 1:30pm Walk Begins - 2:00pm
Location:	Gloria Dei Lutheran Church (Across Main St. from Downers Grove North H.S.)

Total Money Raised: $28,988

This year's total is over $3,000 more than 2006! Check the results page for detailed results of the total money raised by each organization and a list of the direct donations.

Thank you to everyone who participated this year and contributed so much to combating hunger in the world.

| 2007 Photo Album |

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! CROP Hunger Walks help 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.

| South DuPage CROP Hunger Walk (PDF) | What are CROP Hunger Walks? (PDF) |

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 $494,000 has been raised by the South DuPage CROP Hunger Walk.
Since 1986, more than $123,000 has been raised for local hunger agencies.
In 2006, $25,552 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 Downers Grove FISH, Woodridge Community Pantry, Lisle Township Food Pantry, Northern Illinois Food Bank, Chicago Anti-Hunger Federation, Downers Grove Walk-In Ministry 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
Each walker then solicits pledges and 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.

Walker Incentives

Every walker who registers will receive a sports water bottle.
Walkers turning in $150 or more at the walk will receive their choice of a tee shirt or ball cap.
Walkers raising $200 or more will receive a CROP Walk pin.

We are also grateful to the Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center, which has agreed to sponsor the South DuPage CROP Hunger Walk again this year. Through their sponsorship they will be donating incentives to all walkers as follows:

Every walker who registers will receive two free passes to Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center.
Walkers raising up to $749 earn two guest passes and a fitness assessment.
Walkers raising up to $999 earn two guest passes, a fitness assessment, and a nutrition counseling session.
Walkers raising $1000 or more earn all of the above plus a free 60-minute massage therapy session at the Wellness Center.

Online Registration

It is now possible to register on the internet in order to receive credit card pledges online. All transactions are secured by Verisign. 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. All transactions are secured by Verisign.

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.