Archive: Around Town

Wednesday morning on "The Wake Up Q" Chris Allinger told his audience that the inaugural '2 Steps to Fight Hunger' raised $34,500 for The Food Bank's BackPack Program™ in Tompkins County. The program helps children at risk of hunger on weekends and holidays during the school year.

'2 Steps to Fight Hunger' consisted of 'A Run on Campus' at Cornell in late September and 'A Walk in the Country' on October 2nd. 103.7 Q Country radio host Chris Allinger for the past 4 years raised funds for this organization by walking to each town in the County. His 'Walking the Country' events raised over $100,000.00 in the 4 years he walked.

"I KNEW we could do it," said Allinger, "people really understand this need and I met so many people who were determined to make this work. Every last person was key to this effort.  From the woman who didn't raise enough on the run that she did the Walk to raise more money to the young girl who got enough money to cover 2 children for a whole school year.  Everyone was amazing and I am in awe."

Participants were asked for a $30 registration fee for either event.  While expenses are still being calculated, the total money raised by the 2 events and sponsor donations came to $34,500 for the Backpack Program.  The event was sponsored by the Tompkins Trust Company, CSP Management, Wegmans, The Drain Brain, Advantage Sport & Fitness and Dryden Mutual.

The Food Bank's BackPack Program™ provides healthy, child-friendly, and easy to prepare foods to children at risk of hunger over weekends and holiday breaks when children do not have access to school meal programs. Each Friday children in need receive a bag of simple, easy to prepare nutritious food to get them through weekends and holidays. These children, who rely on school meal programs for sustenance, may otherwise go without when school is not in session.

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