Interfaith Works: CROP Walk

CROP WALK RAISED $46,002

[from July 2006]

CROP WALK 2006 is complete with $46,002.00 reported in to Church World Service on June 30.

Thanks to all who helped in some way to make this another very successful Walk for Thurston County. From those on the committee (others are always welcome), to cookie makers, volunteers staffing water stations, walkers, and the support of those who sponsor walkers.

It was exciting to see that the following organizations surpassed their totals from 2005: St. Mark Lutheran Church, Olympia Friends Meeting (Quaker), Tumwater United Methodist Church, Lacey Presbyterian Church, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Westminster Presbyterian Church, New Life Baptist Church, South Sound Buddhist Fellowship, Thurston County Democrats, and the Bahá’ís.

We are pleased that the following organizations were newly involved in the Walk: Lydia Hawk Elementary School, Olympia High School, First Baptist Church of Olympia, and Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Yelm.

Thanks to the special Mission Fund at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd for their $1500 donation to the Walk and to the Dan & Pat Andersen Family for their $1000 gift to the Walk.

To all the other organizations, thank you for your support. We look forward to your participation next year and hope you too will be able to surpass your 2006 total and make our dream goal of $50,000 a reality.

If you need to know what your total giving was for 2005 and 2006 please contact the CROP Walk treasurer at 352-9703 or e-mail at gruenw[at]comcast.net.

We did surpass Bainbridge Island -- our closest competitor, who has a matching grant giver -- as they were under $44,000 (but not by much).

It has been a pleasure being a part of the Walk for these 26 years and watching it grow.

If you are interested in being involved in any aspect of the Walk -- recruitment, treasurer, set up, publicity, matching fund or business contributions — just contact Interfaith Works; we will be glad to include you in our program.

Thanks again for a great Walk, we can’t do it without you!

Treasurer Carol Gruen

Co-Chair Wayne Gruen

THURSTON COUNTY CROP WALK IS NUMBER 1!

[from July/August 2005]

WE DID IT! The 2005 Thurston County Crop Walk not only reached but far exceeded the goal of raising $42,000 and being the top fundraiser (among Crop Walks) in the state. In fact, we raised $47,700+. Not only was our dollar amount 46% higher than that of 2004, but our number of walkers was 41% higher! Way to go, Thurston County! Ours is the top Walk in the region (Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho) and number 34 in the nation, out of almost 2000 Walks. That places us squarely between Muskegon, Michigan, and Poughkeepsie, New York, and ahead of such famous cities as San Antonio, Sacramento, Omaha, Winston-Salem, and most importantly, Bainbridge Island!

The local benefit of the funds raised will be $11,925 to be divided between eight local hunger-relief agencies.

Local Recipients

Every year, 25% of the funds raised go to local feeding programs chosen by the CROP WALK committee. 2008's local recipients are:

Thurston County Food Bank

Salvation Army / Olympia Community Kitchen

Senior Services for South Sound (includes Meals on Wheels)

St. Michael's -- St. Vincent DePaul Society

Sacred Heart Emergency Outreach

Out of the Woods (Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation)

First Baptist Church -- Sunday Dinner Feeding Ministry

Donating Online

You can donate online to the Thurston County CROP WALK. Here's how simple it is:

1) Go to www.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=241051

2) Select "General Donation" under "Visitors" on the left side of the web page

3) Follow the instructions on the page

Donating money with your credit card at this website is fast, easy, and very secure.

If you desire, you can donate to a particular person's or team's total if they have registered on the site. After step 1, look at the right of the page and you will notice a list of people and a list of teams. If you see the one you want, click on it. Otherwise, click on Search and find the person who should get credit for your donation.

If you have any difficulties using the website, call 888-297-2767.

GOV. GREGOIRE CROP’S HONORARY CHAIR

[from April 2007]

Governor Christine Gregoire will open this year's Thurston County Crop Walk at 1:15 on Sunday, May 6, on the Capitol Campus. Then the Olympia Highlanders will lead off the walk with the rousing music of Scottish pipes and drums. Wouldn't you like to be part of this 27-year tradition?

Thurston County Crop Walk has been one of the ‘Cream of the Crop’, one of the top 100 Walks out of 2000 in the country, for several years, and number one in the state for the past two years. This year, we are determined to raise $50,000. Of that total, $12,500 will be given to local hunger-relief agencies, and the rest will help to rebuild lives and communities torn by wars and natural disasters all around the world. The more money we raise, the fewer of our neighbors will go hungry in the coming year.

YOU can help stop hunger in Thurston County and around the world! Become a Crop Walker. Or make a contribution to a Walker; it’s easier than ever to do! If you don’t know a walker, you can now give online. Go to www.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=181013 select ‘General Donation’ under ‘visitors’ on the left side of the page, and follow the instructions. Or, simply call 357-7224 to make your contribution. For more information about helping Crop stop hunger, please call Wayne or Carol at 359-1295. And HURRY! The 2007 Thurston County Crop Walk takes place Sunday, May 6.

Walker Information

The 10K walk starts and ends at the Capitol Campus in downtown Olympia. For a map of the route (it's over 600KB to download!), click here.

To register on-line:

Go to the registration page for our Thurston County walk;

Click on the gray "Register Here" button;

Follow the instructions;

Call 1-888-297-2767 if you have any questions or difficulties.

On the day of the walk, park on the Capitol Campus and come to the Temple of Justice steps. Bring your walker form to the Registration tent between 12:30 & 1:30. The Opening Ceremony at 1:15 features Tumwater Mayor Ralph Osgood. The walk starts at 1:30, led the Olympia Highlanders.

Many Interfaith Works member organizations have CROP WALK recruiters from whom you can get information and forms. For basic walker information, click here.

You can also contact the Interfaith Works office at 357-7224 or Chairman Wayne Gruen at 352-9703 if you would like to participate as a walker, a sponsor, a team leader, or a committee member.