The 44th annual CROP Hunger Walk will be held on Saturday, Oct. 14, at Muddy Run Park, 172 Bethesda Church Road West, Holtwood. Registration will open at 8:30 a.m., and the walk will begin at 9 a.m. Activities will be offered for children who participate in the walk, and members of the public of all physical abilities are invited to participate.

This year, young walkers will have a chance to participate in a story walk. Pages and illustrations from a children's book will be stationed along the walking path, allowing youngsters to read the story as they travel the route. The event regularly includes a task for families with young kids to complete; last year, children took part in a scavenger hunt as they finished the walk.

The walk is organized every year by Mechanic Grove Church of the Brethren in Quarryville, but congregations from the Penn Manor and Lampeter-Strasburg areas often participate as well. This year, representatives from Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church, Refton Brethren in Christ Church and St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church have assisted Mechanic Grove Church of the Brethren with planning the walk.

"Over the years, the event has continued to grow thanks to our move to Muddy Run Park," said Mary Etta Reinhart, who co-coordinates the walk with fellow Mechanic Grove member Don Trimble. "It's a beautiful, family- and pet-friendly place to walk, and the event is a great way to spend a morning doing something important."

Last year, more than 75 walkers from 12 local churches and organizations participated in the CROP Hunger Walk in the Southern End. The event broke its record for the highest amount of money raised by a single walk by accumulating more than $22,000 in donations. Since the tradition was started by the Solanco Ministerium in 1980, the walk has raised nearly $450,000.

Every year, CROP Hunger Walks are held throughout the country to raise money for Church World Service, a nonprofit that seeks to battle international food insecurity. Seventy-five percent of the proceeds from Solanco's CROP Hunger Walk will benefit Church World Service Lancaster; the remaining 25% percent will be donated to Solanco Neighborhood Ministries' food bank in Quarryville. Last year, the event raised more than $5,000 for the food bank, and it was given the Cream of the Crop Award by Church World Service. Every year, the organization gives the award to the 100 CROP Walks that have raised the most money.

For more information, visit https://events.crophungerwalk.org.