Father Alexander Veronis has been coordinating a CROP Walk in Lancaster for 34 years - this Fall will be the 34Th Walk that he has organized in Lancaster City. But, the year before he began this incredible tenure - he and members of his family and parish walked a CROP Walk that walked through the area. That was the real start to CROP Walking in Lancaster and why this Fall we decided to celebrate 35 years of Walking in CROP Walks to feed the hungry!

A special engraved Anniversary Walking stick has been presented to Father Veronis with seven “shells to bells” attached to it. Each bell represents five years of CROP Walking and is made of discarded armaments and mortar casings.

Our Anniversary Walk will begin and end at Clipper Stadium on Sunday, October 21, 2007 - starting at 1pm.

The 2006 Lancaster City CROP Walk reached an all-time high of over $63,000. - thank you everyone!!

Put the date on your calendar NOW! A number of new ideas are being planned for this year's walk in Lancaster City. The route will be modified from last year to allow you to travel through more of the city. (Click here to see a map of the new route.) Some new recruiters are busy working to help us reach our goal of 1000 walkers (It's been a while since we've had that many. Will you help us?) And again a video will be shown at Clipper Magazine Stadium before the walk, and a Third World Meal will be served at the end of the walk.

Lancaster Co. has consistently been one of the largest money-raisers for the CROP Walk in the entire nation. This city walk and over a dozen county walks have raised over $3.6 million in the past 32 years to help hungry people in our county and around the world. Last year's total was only a little over $100,000, one of our smallest totals in recent years. But the walk came on the heels of a massive drive throughout the country to provide relief to Hurricane Katrina victims.

Our goal again this year is $150,000 raised in Lancaster County. WITH YOUR HELP WE CAN REACH IT! (Each walker is asked to try to raise a minimum of $100.). This year, CROP Walks are also being planned for the following Lancaster Co. communities: Denver, Donegal/Conoy, Elizabethtown, Ephrata/Akron, Gap/Lanchester, Lampeter/Willow Street, Lititz, Mount Joy, Mountville, New Holland, Paradise, SoLanCo, and at several county retirement communities, including Brethren Village and Willow Valley

This year, we are pleased to announce that an agreement with the Roman Catholic Bishop Kevin Rhodes will make it possible for Catholics in our area to once again participate with us in the CROP Walk. Monies raised by Catholics will be designated for Catholic Charities. (Other walkers may also designate monies for a specific reputable non-profit charity--there is a list on each Sponsor Sheet.) We are grateful to Bishop Rhodes that this agreement would be worked out.

There are four locations in the county to pick up CROP Walk materials--sponsor sheets, posters, bulletin inserts, balloons, videos, etc.

1. Annunciation Orthodox Church, 64 Hershey Ave. (394-1735)
2. Lancaster County Council of Churches, 344 N. Marshall Street (291-2261)
3. Highland Presbyterian Church, 1891 Oregon Pike (569-2651)
4. FOR ALL CATHOLIC WALKERS -- Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, West Walnut Street (394-0757)
   (Catholic Walkers may pick up Catholic Charities Sponsor Forms here.)

Remember, "We walk....because they walk."

For more information about the Lancaster City walk, call 394-1735. For contact persons for other county walks, click here.