Hunger Hike participants gathered this past Sunday to to raise awareness and funds for food programs locally, regionally & globally — through the good work of Lafayette Urban Ministry, Food Finders Food Bank, Inc. and the Haiti Ministry at St. Thomas Aquinas.

The weather was perfect — and the “hike” along the Wabash River was pleasant and picturesque. The Kick-off event was highlighted by an inspiring keynote from Race Johnson, Purdue Football alumnus as well as remarks from our two Honorary Co-chairs, Dave Kucik, Purdue Crew & Rowing coach, and Nadine Morgan (for Sharon Versyp), Purdue Women’s Basketball coach. Remarks were also offered by Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski, West Lafayette City Council President Peter Bunder, Tippecanoe County Council President Tom Murtaugh and by Joe Micon, Lafayette Urban Ministry; Fr. Patrick Baikauskas OP, St. Thomas Aquinas Center; and Katy Bunder, Food Finders Food Bank, Inc. — our sponsoring organizations.

It began with the crowd cheering with the Purdue Cheerleaders & Purdue Pete and participating in Zumba with Miss Brooke & Kasie from Studio b Dance & Fitness. The US National Anthem was then sung by Jay Alan, Harrison High School senior and YouTube sensation. Throughout the entire event, there was live music by DJ Powder of Rat Pak Mobile DJs, face-painting & balloon animals from the Unlimited Smiles Clown Ministry, massages by Lee Anne Akers of Essential Touch Massage, and Voter Registration.

After a blessing from Fr. Patrick Baikauskas OP, the “hikers” were led by Purdue Pete, Purdue Cheerleaders, Purdue Crew Team and Purdue Women’s Basketball Team up the John T. Myers Pedestrian Bridge and along the Wabash Heritage Trail. Hunger Hike concluded with a Celebration Picnic with hot dogs, chips & bottled water (courtesy of Texas Roadhouse, Sam’s Club & Aqua Systems).

Hunger Hike for the 26th straight year was successful in bringing much needed attention & funds to the battle against malnutrition, food insecurity & hunger — locally, regionally & globally.

Thanks to all who participated, raised funds, volunteered and donated.

Hunger Hike 2018 – QUICK LINKS:

Photos – Hunger Hike 5K Run
Photos – HH5K Run – Runners
Photos – Hunger Hike Kick-off event & 3K Walk
Results – HH5K Run by Category
Results – HH5K Run Overall

Hunger Hike

Hunger Hike 5K Run — Picture Perfect

September 18, 2018Hunger Hike, Lafayette Urban Ministry, LUM5K, 5k run, food finders, haiti ministry, hunger hike, lafayette urban ministry, lum, pablo malavenda, st. tom'sLafayette Urban Ministry

Running & Fighting Hunger – One Step at a Time

2016-09-16-hh5k-013-2-1280x856

More than 60 runners and walkers participated in the 2018 Hunger Hike 5K Run this past Saturday. The Hunger Hike 5K Run is open to runners of all ages and abilities who share a goal: Fighting Hunger with their Hearts & Soles!

It was sunny and cool — a picture perfect day for a race. The Hunger Hike 5K Run 2018 followed the beautiful, paved Cattail Trail Loop through West Lafayette and the scenic Celery Bog Nature Area — giving runners and walkers an opportunity to support three local organizations while enjoying a professionally timed 5K event.

Pictured above L to R: Joe Micon, LUM executive director; Sheila Klinker, Indiana State Representative; Assemgul Bissenbina, #1 Female; Kyle Morales, #3 Female; Colin Frier, #1 Youth; Phoebe (Colin’s dog); Aauba Aditye, #1 Male; Sarah Sellers, #2 Female; Lucy Edmundson, #3 Youth; and Kenny McCleary, #2 Male.

Thanks to our donors – Awards Unlimited, Panera Bread – West Lafayette, and Pay Less Super Market – West Lafayette.

Hunger Hike QUICK LINKS:

Photos – Hunger Hike 5K Run; Photos – HH5K Run – Just the Runners
Results – HH5K by Category; Results – HH5K Overall
Photos – Hunger Hike Kick-off event & 3K Walk

Hunger Hike

Hunger Facts – 2018

September 13, 2018Hunger Hike, Lafayette Urban Ministry, LUMfood finder, haiti ministry, hunger hike, Joe Micon, katy bunder, lum, pablo malavenda, st francis xavier, st thomas aquinasLafayette Urban Ministry

HUNGER HIKE – Did you know?

General Facts/Statistics

1 in 8 people in Indiana struggle with hunger
An estimated 26% of individuals who are considered food insecure live in households that earn incomes above 185% of the poverty line, making them likely ineligible for most federal nutrition assistance programs.
Food insecure adults are more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension, and high blood pressure. They are also more likely to report mental health problems, including anxiety and depression, and poor general health. Seniors who are food insecure have a decreased capacity to maintain independence with aging.

Child Hunger Facts/Stats

1 in 5 children struggle with hunger
23,340, or 17.7%, of children in Food Finders’ service area struggle with hunger. In Tippecanoe County, alone, nearly 7,000 children struggle with hunger. More than a quarter of the 23,670 children do not qualify for federal nutrition programs, leaving Food Finders Food Bank’s programs as their only resource.
Children who face hunger are more likely to struggle in school and experience developmental setbacks. Kids who struggle to get enough to eat also face higher risks of health conditions like anemia and asthma.
In addition to decreased intellectual and emotional development and poor academic performance, children living in food insecure households are at higher risk of poor physical and mental health. They are substantially more likely to be diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia, asthma, mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, cognitive impairment, and behavioral disorders. They are also at higher risk of being hospitalized. These health problems and the resulting time demands placed on caregivers impact the ability of caregivers to maintain stable employment.
For more information on general hunger statistics, visit Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap site: click HERE

Senior Hunger Facts/Stats

Indiana has one of the highest rates of senior hunger, with 11.7% of seniors struggling with hunger–that’s 631,800 seniors in Indiana. Women are disproportionately affected by food insecurity, 6 out of every 10 food insecure seniors are women.
Seniors struggling with hunger often have to make the difficult decision between paying for rent, medication, or transportation and food.
For seniors, lack of access to healthy foods, or even a stable diet, can lead to life threatening medical conditions, such disability, deteriorating health/ mental health conditions, serious infections, lengthy hospitalization, and malnutrition. The number one health condition caused by food insecurity among seniors is clinical (severe/major) depression. For more information on senior hunger, read The State of Senior Hunger, click HERE.

Hunger Hike – HH5K Run registration

Hunger Hike 2018 Teams Up with Purdue Coaches

August 31, 2018Hunger Hike, Lafayette Urban Ministry, LUMdave kucik, food finders, haiti ministry, hunger hike, lafayette urban ministry, lum, pablo malavenda, purdue crew, purdue rowing, purdue womens basketball, sharon versyp, st. tom'sLafayette Urban Ministry

Purdue Coaches Versyp & Kucik – Fighting Hunger

At an event this week at Mackey Arena, two prominent Purdue Coaches announced they would be teaming up with Hunger Hike as honorary co-chairs to join the Fight Against Hunger.

Honorary Hunger Hike Co-chairs, Coach Sharon Versyp (women’s basketball) & Coach Dave Kucik (rowing & crew). Both spoke passionately about the importance of Hunger Hike and the power of coming together as a community to Fight Hunger. They also put out a challenge to the entire community to start fundraising now to reach this year’s Hunger Hike goal of $115,000.

Representatives from the three sponsoring organizations — Lafayette Urban Ministry, Food Finders Food Bank, Inc. & St. Thomas Aquinas Center — also offered remarks and shared how important this fundraiser is to funding the programs necessary to addressing the needs of the families in our community and abroad.

For more information on how you can begin fundraising for Hunger Hike see below or go to our website — hungerhike.org.

{Pictured above L to R: Katy Bunder, CEO/president, Food Finders Food Bank, Inc.; Fr. Patrick Baikauskas OP, pastor, St. Thomas Aquinas Center; Coach Sharon Versyp; Coach Dave Kucik; Joe Micon, executive director, Lafayette Urban Ministry.}

Hunger Hike

Hunger Hike Needs Your Support

July 18, 2018Hunger Hike, Lafayette Urban Ministry, LUM, St. John's/LUM Food Pantryfood finders, haiti ministry, hunger hike, lafayette urban ministry, lum, pablo malavenda, st. tom'sLafayette Urban Ministry

Dear Friend,

On September 16, we will be joining hundreds of participants in the annual Hunger Hike at Riehle Plaza in downtown Lafayette, and we need your help to make our efforts matter!

About a quarter of all residents of Tippecanoe County are at risk of going hungry, but they are not eligible for federal food assistance. What that means is that they have to turn to food pantries and feeding programs run by local nonprofits, civic groups and churches in order to get enough to eat.

Unfortunately, the problem among households with children is even more serious. Too many children in our community are missing out on the nutrition they need for their healthy growth and development. This is especially unacceptable when there are solutions to ending hunger in our community now.

Hunger Hike is one of those solutions.

Hunger Hike is our community’s oldest and most well respected fundraising walk, dating back to the early 1970’s. Last year more than 1,100 people participated in the event. Over the years, more than $1.6 million dollars have been raised, providing vital funding to the feeding programs of Lafayette Urban Ministry and Food Finders Food Bank, Inc. In addition, Hunger Hike also helps to fund efforts by St. Thomas Aquinas Center to purify water and safely preserve agricultural commodities in the fight against hunger in Haiti.

We are grateful that you have been a generous supporter of Hunger Hike in the past and hope that you will continue that support again this year. First and foremost, please circle the following dates on your calendar…

Hunger Hike – Kick-off Event
Sunday, September 16; 2 p.m. – 3K walk; Noon – check in
Riehle Plaza & Wabash Heritage Trail, Lafayette, Indiana
For more information, go to hungerhike.org

Hunger Hike 5K Run
Saturday, September 15; 9 a.m. – 5K run; 8 a.m. – Check in
Celery Bog Nature Area, Cattail Trail, West Lafayette, Indiana
For more information, go to hungerhike.org

We also hope that you will join us in making a generous financial gift to Hunger Hike, right now, prior to the event.

Your gift of $35, $50, $100, $250, $500, or more, will help us to meet our $115,000 fundraising goal and allow our three sponsoring organizations to feed hungry children and strengthen families who are experiencing food insecurity.

We hope you will contribute generously to Hunger Hike again this year.

Run a little faster
Walk a little farther
Dig a little deeper

Join us on the front lines in the fight against hunger.

Please, can we hear from you as soon as possible? Make out your check to “Hunger Hike” and place it in the enclosed envelope – or give online at hungerhike.org/donate.

Gratefully,

Hunger Hike

Hunger Hike 2018 — Mark Your Calendars

May 10, 2018Hunger Hike5K, food finders, haiti ministry, hh5k run, hunger hike, lum, pablo malavenda, st. tom'sLafayette Urban Ministry

Make This the Year that YOU Fight Hunger!

Hunger Hike
is a community fundraising event whose mission is to Raise Awareness & Make a Difference in the Fight Against Hunger — locally, regionally, & globally. Hunger Hike is open to participants of all ages and abilities who share a common goal: Fighting Hunger! The details of the Hunger Hike events are as follows:

Hunger Hike 3K Walk

Date: Sunday, September 16
Time: Noon – check-in; 2 p.m. – Hunger Hike 3K Walk starts
Place: Riehle Plaza, N 2nd Street, Lafayette

HH5K Run

Date: Saturday, September 15
Time: 8:00-8:45 a.m. check-in; 9:00 a.m. run starts
Place: Cattail Trail Loop, Celery Bog Nature Area, West Lafayette
Registration Cost: $30 includes T-Shirt

Hunger Hike is a perfect fundraising event for your group — student organization, church group, civic group, team or family. Put together a Hunger Hike team and start raising money using our online fundraising site — or any other way you choose.

All Hunger Hike proceeds directly support the Lafayette Urban Ministry food assistance programs including the St. John’s/LUM Food Pantry; Food Finders Food Bank, Inc.; and St. Thomas Aquinas’ Haitian Ministry. This is YOUR opportunity to support these outstanding local organizations while engaging in a meaningful and fun community event.

We hope you’ll consider joining our Fight against Hunger. Here’s how to get started:

| Donate Online | Hunger Hike—Online Fundraising | HH5K Run Registration |

If you are a company owner — you also may become a Hunger Hike sponsor. For more information on how to become 2018 Event Sponsor, email hungerhike@lumserve.org.

Hunger Hike

Hunger Hike 2017 – Raises Over $110,000

December 14, 2017Hunger Hike, Lafayette Urban Ministry, LUMbethany presbyterian, chapel of the good shepherd, food finders food bank, fr patrick baikauskas, haiti ministry, haiti mission, hunger hike, Joe Micon, katy bunder, lafayette life foundation, lafayette urban ministry, lum, purdue computer science, sams club, st thomas aquinas, walmartLafayette Urban Ministry

Second Year in a Row – Funds Exceed $110,000

At a celebration this week, it was announced that the 25th annual Hunger Hike reached its goal. For the second year in a row Hunger Hike has raised over $110,000 — and for the third year, over $100,000.

The 2017 Hunger Hike total is $110,083 plus numerous gifts in kind. Each sponsoring agency received $36,694.

The celebration was capped off with the presentation of checks to representatives of the three sponsoring organizations: Fr. Patrick Baikauskas OP, St. Thomas Aquinas Haiti Ministry; Katy Bunder, Food Finders Food Bank, Inc.; and Joe Micon, Lafayette Urban Ministry. All major donors and event sponsors were also recognized.

A majority of the money comes from local churches ($58,498). The top six CHURCH fundraisers:

St. Thomas Aquinas ($36,932)
Bethany Presbyterian ($3,384)
Chapel of the Good Shepherd ($3,366)
St. Andrew United Methodist ($2,235)
Central Presbyterian ($1,155)
St. John’s Episcopal ($1,125)

The top six INDIVIDUAL fundraisers:

Rob Pahl ($8,340)
Fr. Patrick Baikauskas, OP ($7,551)
Jane & Duane Sellers ($7,280)
Michael Lockwood ($4,250)
John Ginda ($2,705)
The Eros Family ($1,770)

The top organization/group TEAMS:

Purdue English Department Poets & Critics ($2,475)
Food Finders Food Bank, Inc. ($1,060)
Purdue Boxing Club ($990)
Purdue Crew ($550)
Grandma’s Bunch ($862)
Alpha Gamma Delta – Beta Xi Chapter at Purdue ($275)

Special thanks to DIAMOND Level event sponsors:

the Lafayette Life Foundation ($5,000)
Walmart/Sam’s Club ($5,500)

Total Hunger Hike corporate gifts totaled $30,488. To view all of our event sponsors, click HERE.

The proceeds from Hunger Hike 2017 will have a tremendous & immediate positive impact on the Fight Against Hunger — locally, regionally & globally. Thank you all again for making history again this year at Hunger Hike.

Please mark your calendars for next year’s Hunger Hike event weekend
— September 15 & 16, 2018 —

More information may be found on the Hunger Hike website at www.hungerhike.org.
If you wish to become a Hunger Hike 2018 event sponsor, please call or email Joe Micon (765-423-2691 | jmicon@lumserve.org).

Hunger Hike

Hunger Hike 2016 Raises $114,407

December 2, 2016Hunger Hike, Lafayette Urban Ministry, LUMbethany presbyterian, chapel of the good shepherd, food finders food bank, fr patrick baikauskas, haiti ministry, haiti mission, hunger hike, Joe Micon, katy bunder, lafayette life foundation, lafayette urban ministry, lum, purdue computer science, sams club, st thomas aquinas, walmartLafayette Urban Ministry

Hunger Hike Exceeds Fundraising Goal AGAIN!

At a celebration this morning, it was announced that Hunger Hike 2016 not only raised a record amount but also exceeded the 2016 fundraising goal. For the second year in a row the amount raised exceeded $100,000 — and for the fourth consecutive year it is the highest amount ever raised.

The 2016 total is $114,407 plus numerous gifts in kind.

Photos from this event may be viewed HERE.

Special thanks to Diamond Level event sponsors —

Walmart/Sam’s Club ($7,750)
the Lafayette Life Foundation ($5,000)

Total raised through corporate gifts is $39,665. To view all of our event sponsors, click HERE.

A majority of the money comes from local churches and their fundraising efforts. The top church fundraisers this year are as follows:

The top organization/group teams are as follows:

Purdue Computer Science ($1,286)
Food Finders ($1,170)
Grandma’s Bunch ($862)

The celebration was capped off with the presentation of checks to representatives of the three sponsoring organizations —

Fr. Patrick Baikauskas OP, St. Thomas Aquinas Haiti Ministry
Katy Bunder, Food Finders Food Bank, Inc.
Joe Micon, Lafayette Urban Ministry

Each sponsoring agency received $35,977.

The proceeds from Hunger Hike 2016 will have a tremendous & immediate positive impact on the Fight Against Hunger — locally, regionally & globally. Thank you all again for making history this year at Hunger Hike.

Please mark your calendars for next year’s Hunger Hike event weekend — September 16 & 17, 2017.

More information may be found on the Hunger Hike website at www.hungerhike.org.

If you wish to become a Hunger Hike 2017 event sponsor, please call or email Joe Micon (765-423-2691 | jmicon@lumserve.org).

Hunger Hike