Sunday afternoon the 25th annual Crop Walk took place in Falls Village, CT. The intention of the Crop Walk is to raise awareness and funds for both local and international relief, development, and hunger-fighting agencies. CROP, sponsored by Church World Services, is an acronym for Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty. IMS has been participating in this community fundraiser for more than ten years.

 

For the past seven years IMS math chair Sheryl Knapp has been Indian Mountain’s link to this important community-wide event. In recent years she has been joined by Middle School art teacher Cecilia Marshall. Together they head up the Community Service committee at IMS, helping our students live up to the Indian Mountain motto, life through service. This year the boarders did collections within each of their dorms. They had a little competition going, with Upper Doolittle raising the largest amount, thereby winning the Pizza Party. All other dorms will be rewarded for their efforts with ice cream sundaes.

 

The weather was unseasonably warm and sunny as dozens of area residents, including more than one hundred IMS-ers and their families, gathered at the Housatonic Valley Regional High School to embark upon the symbolic five mile walk along the Housatonic River. Some brought their dogs, some filled plastic bags with garbage collected along the way. Many had collected pledges or donated money at the registration table. IMS raised $906 for the cause!

 

There are similar Hunger Walks all across America. The motto of the walk is “We Walk Because They Walk,” a concept that represents the many miles that are walked everyday by young and old alike in poorer regions of the world. They walk for food, for medical services, for firewood, for water, for survival. It is Mrs. Knapp’s and Mrs. Marshall’s hope that our students raised not only money but also awareness and empathy for those less fortunate than themselves.

 

Not all funds are sent overseas. This year 25% of the money raised will go to our own food banks in Northwest Connecticut. The majority of the other funds will go to Pakistan to help those suffering from the floods.

 

In addition to doing something to help others, our kids always have a great time walking and talking with their friends, an activity that is often over-looked and under-rated in our technology-based society.