CROP Walk! Stop World Hunger!

Wow!  Things are hopping!  I love this time of year.  So many opportunities to enjoy life!  I am excited about our participation in the CROP Walk.  Check it out at http://www.cropwalk.org it is a GREAT cause.  My wonderful and amazing mom has spent many hours over the last few years organizing the CROP walk at her church and this year sat on the CROP Walk planning committee for Shawnee County.  Marek and I decided that with our propensity to walk, hike, and run that this would be a fun event for us.  We have never been able to participate in the past, but this year it is a fit!  I invited the 4H’ers who are in the Outdoor Adventure project to participate 6 days in advance.  (Yep, queen of advanced planning!)  I really think that service connected with your area of interest is a MUST!  If walking is helpful then we can do it!  The chant for the CROP Walk is “We walk because THEY walk!”  It references the fact that people all over the world walk every day - sometimes great distances to get food, clean water and medical supplies for themselves and their families.  The Outdoor Adventure kids are great at walking!

We started our adventure off last night with Austin spending the night.  Marek made a poster to explain CROP and they took it to The Grainery and asked everyone to donate.  Cryin’ Out Loud was AWESOME but the crowd was slim.  However, the boys collected about $30 including change!  Pretty good.  Alicen came over this morning at 9 and we all headed to church.  They put their poster and collection jar on a table to collect the last bit of change before the walk.  Marek, my marketing genius, brought his “Peace Pole” and his little church model with a small toy tennis shoe to sit around the poster.  Accoutrements help sell the cause!  Our total collection for the group of four was around $120.  Not too bad, given that .08 cents will feed a toddler in Burma lunch! 

We set up our donation of Lemonade and 4 dozen cookies in the kitchen window and headed to Yello Sub for lunch.  Yum!!  We came back and the kids helped out by blowing up balloons.  At about 2pm we headed out on the walk.  We had a beautiful day for a walk.  We walked past the KU Women’s Soccor game, a Lacrosse game and a flag football game.  The other cool thing we saw was Marek fake walking into almost every sign we passed during the entire 3.1 miles!!  Hah!  Pretty silly kid!

They NEVER stop talking and really enjoyed the whole activity.  In the end we helped clean up all the chairs and tables.  The adult volunteers were super thankful and did a great job of expressing their appreciation to them.  I am SO thankful that they had this opportunity to serve and to be appreciated.  I know that they know I appreciate them but it is so powerful when youth feel that adults are sincerely thankful for their help. 

We ended our day with a visit to Dairy Queen – Yummy!! 

Helping others is fun and rewarding, plus we exercised!