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

Has HUNGER HIKE Reached the Goal? Not Yet!

September 18, 2018Hunger Hikefood finders, hunger hike, lafayette urban ministry, lum, pablo malavenda, st. tom's, texas roadhouseLafayette Urban Ministry

4 Ways You Can Still Help – Reach $115,000 Goal

Each year at this time about 85% of the Hunger Hike goal has been reached. So it’s important that you still raise funds and give generously.

Here are 4 ways you can still help Hunger Hike reach its goal:

Make a Donation NOW, HERE
Support a Hiker or Team, HERE — then click the TEAM tab
Attend the Dine for $$ Fundraising Night at Texas Roadhouse (Lafayette) on Tuesday, September 25, view coupon sheet HERE.
If you have a First Giving page or team — send it out again to all of your contacts asking for more donations, HERE

Hunger Hike

Dine at Texas Roadhouse for Hunger Hike

September 18, 2018Hunger Hikefood finders, fundraising night, hunger hike, lafayette urban ministry, lum, pablo malavenda, st. tom's, texas roadhouseLafayette Urban Ministry

THIS Tuesday – 20% Donated to Hunger Hike

Support Hunger Hike while you enjoy your meal at Texas Roadhouse . P resent the coupon to your server when you order and Texas Roadhouse will donate 20% of your purchase to Hunger Hike.

Here’s how it works…

Print the Hunger Hike “Coupon”
Bring invitation to Texas Roadhouse, 3615 SR 38 E, Lafayette, on Tuesday, September 25 from 4 to 10 p.m.
Give “Coupon” to your server
Hunger Hike gets 20% of your food sales — so, eat up!

Here are the Hunger Hike Fundraising Night details:

Hunger Hike Fundraising Night at Texas Roadhouse
Date: THIS Tuesday, September 25
Time: 4 to 10 p.m.
Place: Texas Roadhouse, 3615 SR 38 E, Lafayette

Please share this with others. THANK YOU.

The Texas Roadhouse Story

It all began on February 17, 1993, when Kent Taylor opened the first Texas Roadhouse in Clarksville, Indiana. Kent’s goal was to own not just a family restaurant and not just a steak restaurant, but a place where everyone, of all ages, could come and have a great meal and great fun for a great price.

We like to brag about our Hand-Cut Steaks, Fall-Off-The-Bone Ribs, Made-From-Scratch Sides, and Fresh-Baked Bread. Everything we do goes into making our hearty meals stand out. We handcraft almost everything we serve. We provide larger portions so you get more food for your dollar. And if you want an Ice Cold Beer or Legendary Margarita to wash it all down — well, we have those, too.

Our food’s not the only thing that’s Legendary at the Roadhouse — our fun is too! From our line dancers to our jukebox to our friendly servers, you’ll enjoy every second you spend in a Texas Roadhouse.

At Texas Roadhouse our team has an incredible sense of pride in everything we do. Our passion ensures you have a Legendary Experience every time. Because of our passion for our guests and our communities, our team members are involved outside the restaurants in their local communities as a way to give back.

The Texas Roadhouse story is simple. Legendary Food, Legendary Service^® —
all with lots of Legendary Fun!

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 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

HH5K Run – 2016 Winners

September 24, 2016Hunger Hike, Lafayette Urban Ministry, LUM5K, 5k run, food finders, haiti ministry, hunger hike, lafayette urban ministry, lum, pablo malavenda, st. tom'sLafayette Urban Ministry

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

On Saturday, September 17, local runners took part in the HH5K Run—the Race to Feed the Hungry—at Celery Bog Nature Area with start/finish on the Cattail Trail through the Celery
Bog Nature Area. The rain cleared up just in time for the run, and it was a cool but cloudy morning — not a bad day for a race.

youth-winners female-winners

The HH5K Run winners are as follows:

Youth —
- 1st: Rob Burton
- 2nd: Courtney Seger
Women —
- 1st: Katie Micon
- 2nd: Lauren Harer
- 3rd: Sarah Carignan
Men —
- 1st: Nick Burton
- 2nd: Colin Williams
- 3rd: Robby Stewart

These runners supported these outstanding local organizations while enjoying a 5K event on a scenic trail.

HH5K Run RESULTS, click HERE
To view HH5K Run PHOTOS, click HERE.

Hunger Hike

Hunger Hike 2016 — Legendary Event

September 24, 2016Hunger Hike, Lafayette Urban Ministry, LUMamanda elmore, food finders, haiti ministry, hunger hike, lafayette urban ministry, lum, pablo malavenda, st. tom's, us rowingLafayette Urban Ministry

2016-09-18-hunger-hike-531-2-1280x1280 Participants gathered with one common goal—to raise awareness and raise funds for food programs locally, regionally & globally — through the work of Lafayette Urban Ministry, Food Finders and the Haiti Ministry at St. Tom’s. The events this past weekend though — offered even more.

This year was special from beginning to end. Before it all began the crowd was treated to Zumba with Brooke & Kasie from Studio b Dance & Fitness and the National Anthem sung by Indiana State Representative Sheila Klinker & her daughter, Kelly Jacobs, director of music for the Cathedral of St. Mary. Throughout the entire event , there was live music by DJ Powder from Rat Pak Mobile DJs, face-painting & balloon animals from the Unlimited Smiles Clown Ministry, and massages from Lee Anne Akers of Essential Touch Massage.

Amanda Elmore, US Olympic Gold Medalist (pictured above), gave a rousing keynote address preceded by remarks from Sharon Versyp, Purdue Women’s Basketball coach; Dave Shondell, Purdue Volleyball coach; Dave Kucik, Purdue Rowing coach; Sheila Klinker, Indiana State Representative; John Dennis, West Lafayette Mayor; Tony Roswarski, Lafayette Mayor; Joe Micon, LUM executive director; Fr. Patrick Baikauskas, OP, pastor/director of campus ministries, St. Thomas Aquinas; Katy Bunder, CEO/president, Food Finders Food Bank, Inc.; and Kyle Mann, Walmart Market Manager.

Amanda Elmore also kicked off the Hunger Hike. Purdue Pete, Purdue Cheerleaders, Purdue Crew Team, Purdue Women’s Basketball Team & Purdue Volleyball Team then led the hikers up the John T. Myers Bridge and on the Wabash Heritage Trail along the Wabash River. Hunger Hike concluded with a Celebration Picnic with hot dogs, chips & bottled water for all participants (Thanks to Texas Roadhouse, Frito Lay & Aqua Systems).

Hunger Hike once again successfully brought much needed attention & funds to the battle against malnutrition, food insecurity & hunger.

Hunger Hike