{"id":11794,"date":"2024-03-29T20:20:08","date_gmt":"2024-03-29T20:20:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/?p=11794"},"modified":"2024-03-29T20:20:08","modified_gmt":"2024-03-29T20:20:08","slug":"a-moment-in-durham-im-gonna-do-something-for-someone-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/2024\/03\/29\/a-moment-in-durham-im-gonna-do-something-for-someone-today\/","title":{"rendered":"A moment in Durham: ‘I’m gonna do something for someone today’"},"content":{"rendered":"
The hum of tuning tubas radiated from the base of Duke Chapel as a band got ready to play. Folding table legs snapped into place and voices echoed around the quad as people assembled. The air was still and cool, even with a bright sun. It was almost time to move.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The CROP Hunger Walk isn\u2019t new to Durham. The Durham CROP Walk, which supports efforts to fight hunger locally and nationally, first happened 50 years ago. On Sunday, Richard Santos, CEO of Church World Service, took to the stage and told the crowd that Durham\u2019s CROP Hunger Walk has become the largest of its kind, larger than similar events across the country.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Durham event raised over $120,000 this year alone. The bulk of the funds go to Church World Service\u2019s international efforts against hunger, such as the Seeds of Hope for Nutritional Food Security in Guatemala. A quarter of the funds remain in Durham, benefitting community groups that fight hunger, such as\u00a0 Mt. Calvary UCC Food Pantry, Meals on Wheels and 12 other local groups.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As Durham hosted its 50th walk to\u00a0<\/span>raise money for the hungry, dogs wore bunny ears, dads wore foam taco hats, and others wore event T-shirts with cartoonish corn characters holding hands. Alice Sharpe, the event coordinator, moved through the growing crowd. \u201cThe committee has been awesome, they do what they say to do,\u201d she said warmly.<\/span><\/p>\n Mayor Leonardo Williams took the podium to send off the crowd. \u201cThis is truly the best of Durham,\u201d Williams said with both hands in the air. He applauded the folks that, \u201cget up and say \u2018I\u2019m gonna do something for someone today.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Williams stepped off the podium to join the walk. \u201cThere are all age ranges out here, all races, all genders\u2026,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople are out here for a common purpose.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The bright neon vests worn by CROP coordinators reflected orange onto their faces as they stepped onto Campus Drive into a growing crowd. <\/span><\/p>\n Father Gonzalo Torres of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church wore his brown robes to the walk. He walked on his own, with a slow pace and focused eyes, smiling at those who approached him. \u201cI want to be in solidarity with those who go without anything to eat,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n People carried posters, many of which included facts about miles women in developing nations travel to find water. Others carried their children or pushed strollers as the walk moved towards Markham Avenue. The crowd ambled between the sun and shady trees, smiling \u2014 the event is intentionally not a race.<\/span><\/p>\n The CROP Walk exists in a special place in Mayor Williams\u2019 eyes. \u201cWe have enough that divides us. I just want to be able to promote what b<\/span>rings<\/span>\u00a0us together.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n At the e<\/span>n<\/span>d of the crowd, an olde<\/span>r woman walked on her own. The buzz of the crowd faded ahead. Only her clicking cane was heard. \u201cI don’t know how long I\u2019ve been coming to these,\u201d Kendra Van Pelt said. \u201cI had to turn back [last year],\u201d she said, pointing to her knees and hips, \u201cbut they say there\u2019s no shame.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Van Pelt kept trailing the crowd with her clicking cane. When asked why she was there, she was quick to answer between breaths, \u201cfor the hungry!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Above: Scenes from the 50th Durham CROP Hunger Walk. Photos by Reece MacKinney \u2014 The 9th Street Journal.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The hum of tuning tubas radiated from the base of Duke Chapel as a band got ready to play. Folding table legs snapped into place…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":11796,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[269],"class_list":["post-11794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-a-moment-in-durham","tag-the-9th-street-journal","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n<\/p>\n
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