Today, Friday, is the last day of the fourth and last Walkin' The Country.   Q Country 103.7's Chris Allinger's is walking through all of Tompkins County to raise money to feed children in need, and plans to end up at the Ithaca Wegman's at the end of today.  Lansing was the halfway point Wednesday, when Allinger stopped at the Lansing Community Center to meet people, accept donations and break for lunch.  There he talked about future plans for raising money for the Food Bank of the Southern Tier, and the generosity of this year's donors.

"I think possibly because this is the last one, we're seeing more people and higher donation numbers," Allinger said.  "That's helping.  One of the things we're very excited about this year is that our four-year total will likely go above $100,000 this year.  $100,000 raised for the food bank in four years of walking the country.  So we're excited about that."


During the week children in need depend on school meals for sustenance, but often go hungry on the weekends. The Food Bank’s BackPack Program™ provides a bag of simple, easy to prepare nutritious food to get them through weekends and holidays.  Each weekend costs $3 per child, and $120 covers a whole year of weekend meals.  This is the fourth year Allinger has walked around the county to raise money for the BackPack program.  He walks through every town in Tompkins County, stopping to meet people so they can put donations in his backpack.  This year he announced this week would be his last walk, but he says Q Country will maintain an ongoing commitment to the food bank.

"Hunger is going to go on a lot longer that I'm going to be able to walk, so I've got to find something that is sustainable.  Something that is not just about one guy walking every town in the county," he said.  "We're planning something with the Athletic Association at Cornell, where the student athletes may be able to put something together to sustain the fundraising for the food bank over the next few years.  How better to do that than with a new crop of students every year?"

Allinger broadcasts along the way via cell phone, sometimes doing a live radio spot, and other times recording an update for later broadcast.

"There's always something to keep the momentum going," he said.  "To keep them informed about where we are and how far we've gotten.  I see people on the road who say, 'I just heard you on the radio.  I'm glad we found you.'  That is what's great about the opportunity to be able to do this."

Allinger says he loses weight each year, then puts it back on when the walk is done.  He started walking in May to get in shape.  Donors also got a head start last weekend, when Tink Bennett and Taylor Made helped raise $715 at The Dock, $264 was raised at Q Country’s 'Boots, Cruise N’Boogie' on Captain Bill’s Seneca Legacy,  $300 was donated by Guthrie Clinic and $300 by the Johnson Graduate School of Management.


What does a country music radio personality listen to while walking for five days straight?  Is it five straight days of George Strait?  Not exactly.  The mix changes every day.

"Today I've got a little Eric Clapton," he said. "I've got a little Paul McCartney.  It's all to set the tempo, to keep a little bass going in my head and my feet.  I don't always listen to country, although quite often I will.  Today, for some reason I've gone '70s rock."

Allinger started on the Cornell campus first thing Monday morning, with a $6,500 donation by Cornell Athletics & Physical Education staff, coaches and friends.  He continued around campus before setting out for Brooktondale and Slaterville.  Tuesday took Allinger from Slaterville and through Freeville to Dryden.  He started Wednesday at Casper's Diner in Groton, then walked to the Lansing Community center, where he stopped for lunch -- sandwiches donated by Firehouse Subs.  There he met this year's Tompkins County Dairy Princess Elizabeth Drake and many well-wishers, young and old, who wanted to put money into his backpack.


Lansing resident and volunteer fireman Dennis Griffin was among them.  Griffin donated $360.  The money will feed three children in need for a year of weekends, in honor of his three grandchildren.

Next stop was Myers Park where Allinger picked up a boat ride to the Ithaca Yacht Club.  His path led him to Trumansburg, via Perry City Road, where he picked up a special donation.  Thursday took him to the Trumansburg Central School, then to Enfield, Newfield and a final stop at Sella's Barn.  This morning found Allinger at Freddie's Place in Newfield for breakfast, and then a walk to Danby, back to Ithaca College and a final stop at Wegman's, where a victory party is planned at 5pm.
 
Donations have been higher for the Allinger's last Walkin' The Country, and he it even seemed as if the weather wanted to help out this year.

"This has been the best stretch of weather," he said.  "You can see for miles this year, whereas last year we had rain.  I've seen all kinds of weather on the walk except for snow."

Allinger says that plans are not firm, but a new event will probably take the walk's place next year in the form of a road race.  He says it will likely be a one-day event.

"Our commitment to the Food bank is not going away," he said.  "It's just that we're not going to raise funds by walking around every town.  We're still in the early planning stages of it.  Once we have everything together I think it's going to make an awful lot of money for the food bank."

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