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.
Race Johnson, Purdue alumnus & former Boilermaker football player, will offer remarks to kick off this year’s Hunger Hike THIS Sunday, September 16 at 1:30 p.m. at Riehle Plaza (N 2nd Street, Lafayette). Throughout his life, Race has worked hard and has had a special commitment to serving his community as an individual, as an athlete and with his family and church — and he’s eager to share his story THIS Sunday.
Son of Bill & Jill Johnson, Race was born in Indianapolis and grew up in Carmel. Race has a younger brother, Steele, and younger sister, Hollyn. Steele is a diver at Purdue who has won four NCAA championships and a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics.
A high school athlete, Race joined the Purdue football team as a walkon in 2013. He was an Academic All-Big Ten player who played in three games in 2015, and eight games in 2016. Race earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Purdue University (West Lafayette) in May 2017. He is currently a member of the Lugar Real Estate Team in Indianapolis.
Join us THIS Sunday to meet Race and hear his remarks at the Hunger Hike kick-off event at 1:30 p.m. (Riehle Plaza).
Hunger Hike events are less than three weeks away — and a lot of exciting things are planned for the Kick-off event and the 5K run. Please become a Hunger Hike participant today! Join Purdue Coaches Sharon Versyp, Dave Kucik & Dave Shondell in beating last year’s amount of $101,000 — and make this a record breaking year.
Hunger Hike is a wonderful team or group activity. Each member raises money leading up to the big day — and the team gets together at Hunger Hike and celebrates their good work.
And Hunger Hike is FUN! There’s a live DJ, Zumba, face painting, balloon animals, clowns, the Boilermaker Special, Purdue Cheerleaders, Purdue Pete — and hot dogs, chips & water when your return from the 3K walk/hike. Here are the details.
Hunger Hike 3K Walk Sunday, September 18 at
Noon – Check in, DJ, BMS, clowns;
1:15 p.m – Zumba
2 p.m. – Kick off
Riehle Plaza, Lafayette
HH5K Run Saturday, September 17 at
8 a.m. – Check in/registration
9 a.m. – Run begins
Parking at White Horse Christian Center, 1780 Cumberland Ave., West Lafayette
To get involved in Hunger Hike 2016 and for more details — click HERE.
At a celebration this past Monday, it was announced that Hunger Hike 2015 not only raised a record amount but also exceeded the 2015 fundraising goal. For the first time in the 50 year history of Hunger Hike — the amount raised exceeded $100,000. The total is $100,282 in cash donations plus $1,000 in donations of gift cards.
Special thanks to the Lafayette Life Foundation for our final 2015 donation of $5,000 which took us over top.
A majority of the money comes from local churches and their fundraising efforts. The top church fundraisers this year were as follows:
($1,000 in gift cards), with each organization receiving $33,760.
The proceeds from Hunger Hike 2015 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 17 & 18, 2016. More information may be found on the Hunger Hike website at www.hungerhike.org.
If you wish to become a Hunger Hike 2016 event sponsor, please call or email Joe Micon (765-423-2691 | jmicon@lumserve.org).
If you wish to make an individual donation to Hunger Hike, click HERE.
More photos from the recent Hunger Hike celebration may be found HERE.
There is a strong partnership between Purdue University & Hunger Hike — and this year is no exception.
From our Hunger Hike Honorary Co-Chairs to Purdue Pete—Purdue is represented on Sunday. As you may have heard our three 2015 co-chairs are Sharon Versyp, Purdue Women’s Basketball head coach; Dave Kucik, Purdue Rowing & Crew Team head coach; and Dave Shondell, Purdue Volleyball head coach. Each will be on hand with their student athletes to help us kick off Hunger Hike on Sunday.
The Hunger Hike Kick-off event will also feature the Purdue Cheerleaders and Purdue Pete. Our official program will start with a spirited cheer from them both. Leading the Hike will be the Purdue Crew Team with their sculls and sweep boats, Purdue Pete & the cheerleaders, the Purdue Volleyball & Women’s Basketball teams as well as the Purdue mascot — the Boilermaker Special.
Since the primary focus of Hunger Hike is raising much needed money for the Fight Against Hunger, we are also proud of the many Purdue staff, students, and faculty who are participating as fundraisers this year. Among the student groups are Alpha Phi Omega, the CS Learning Community, and the Purdue Catholic Students. There are also faculty and staff like Jane Stewart and Genevieve Viduya participating in the Hunger Hike on Sunday as well as the HH5K Run on Saturday.
Hunger Hike brings together the entire community—especially Purdue—in a common goal of Fighting Hunger. Boiler Up!
For more information on Hunger Hike 2015, please visit and explore our new website at www.hungerhike.org.
More information:
Hunger Hike is an annual Fall community fundraising weekend which includes the traditional 3K Walk on Sunday as well as a 5K run on Saturday. This year Hunger Hike is Saturday, September 19 & Sunday, September 20, 2015.
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 Center’s Haitian Ministry including the Haiti Water Purification Project. Since early 1990s Lafayette Urban Ministry, St. Thomas Aquinas Center and Food Finders Food Bank, Inc. have been organizing a walk to support food programs locally, regionally and globally. Formerly known as the Crop Walk, it was officially renamed Hunger Hike in 1993.
Today, Hunger Hike gives companies, organizations, families & individuals many ways to be a part of a community event with a tremendous positive impact on “Fighting Hunger.”
Last week, LUM Executive Director, Joe Micon, distributed the checks to the benefactors. On hand to accept for Food Finder Food Bank, Inc. was Katy Bunder, Executive Director; and for St. Thomas Aquinas Center, Fr. Patrick Baikauskas, Pastor and Director of Campus Ministry. Hunger Hike 2014 had over 1000 organizations, businesses and individuals involved in fundraising and making donations; over 900 hikers, walkers, and runners; and over 200 volunteers engaged before, during and after the event.
Joe Micon stated that LUM will use the money to support the St. John’s/LUM Food Pantry which provides emergency food for over 2200 individuals each and every month and recently expanded its hours to include Saturdays.
Katie Bunder stated that Food Finder Food Bank will use the money to support and expand existing programs like the Mobile Food Pantry and the Back Pack Program.
St. Thomas Aquinas will use the money to support their mission work in Haiti. Several times a year St. Thomas Aquinas provides opportunities for individuals including Purdue students to travel to Haiti and to provide needed work especially efforts to purify water for drinking and introduce more efficient farming techniques. St. Thomas had the largest group of Hikers and raised the most from donations to Hikers again this year.
Joe Micon gave special recognition to the Hunger Hike Honorary Chair, Sharon Versyp, coach of the Purdue Women’s Basketball and the team for role in promoting and for their support the day of Hunger Hike. Micon also thanked David Kucik, coach of the Purdue Crew and the teams for their support and for leading Hunger Hike each year. Micon acknowledged the behind the scenes work of the the entire LUM staff.
Hunger Hike was a great success and will have a tremendous positive impact on our community and the world. LUM announced that the tradition will continue in 2015 with the next Hunger Hike on Sunday, September 20 with the HH5K Run taking place on Saturday, September 19th.
The Lafayette Urban Ministry (LUM) is an organization of churches that serves as a social safety net for Lafayette’s needy children and families. For over 40 years, LUM has worked to give back the hope, the future, and the self-respect to low-income people in the Greater Lafayette area. We take an active role in trying to change social injustices and improve the quality of life for the poor of Indiana.
This morning, LUM Executive Director, Joe Micon, and Board President, Deb Parent, distributed the checks to the benefactors. On hand to accept for Food Finder Food Bank was Katie Bunder, Executive Director, and Cheryl Precious, Development Director. Also in attendance were Ron Smith, Hunger Hike director, and Eileen Weiss, LUM business manager. Hunger Hike 2012 had over 1000 organizations, businesses and individuals involved in fundraising and making donations; over 900 hikers, walkers, and runners; and over 200 volunteers engaged before, during and after the event.
Food Finders Food Bank, St. Thomas Aquinas’ Haiti Ministry and the food programs at LUM each were presented with a check for $26,095.72.
Katie Bunder stated that Food Finder Food Bank will use the money to fund the maintenance costs for storing and delivering food that are not currently covered by other organizations. It currently costs 25 cents per pound to store and distribute food and other organizations pay 19 cents. This money will cover the rest. Hunger Hike money also pays for the distribution for ripe produce which is distributed without collecting any maintenance fees. Produce supplies have increased by 400% which is positive but it costs more to distribute before it spoils. On behalf of Food Finders, Bunder stated that “we hope we can help all of greater Lafayette eat healthier because we have all of these dollars to spend on healthy, fresh food.”
St. Thomas Aquinas will use the money to support their mission work in Haiti. Several times a year St. Thomas Aquinas provides opportunities for individuals including Purdue students to travel to Haiti and to provide needed work especially efforts to purify water for drinking. Joe Micon acknowledged and thanked St. Thomas Aquinas for their work in Haiti as well as the support of Hunger Hike. St. Thomas had the largest group of Hikers and raised the most from donations to Hikers.
Joe Micon gave special recognition to the Hunger Hike Honorary Chair, Sharon Versyp, coach of the Purdue Women’s Basketball and the team for role in promoting and for their support the day of Hunger Hike. Micon also thanked David Kucik, coach of the Purdue Crew and the teams for their support and for leading Hunger Hike each year. Micon acknowledged the behind the scenes work of the LUM business manager, Eileen Weiss; and the LUM Director of the Hunger Hike Program, Ron Smith.
Hunger Hike was a great success and will have a tremendous positive impact on our community and the world. LUM announced that the tradition will continue in 2013 with the next Hunger Hike on Sunday, September 15, 2013.
The Lafayette Urban Ministry (LUM) is an organization of 42 Christian churches that serves as a social safety net for Lafayette’s needy children and families. For over 40 years, LUM has worked to give back the hope, the future, and the self-respect to low-income people in the Greater Lafayette area. We take an active role in trying to change social injustices and improve the quality of life for the poor of Indiana.
celebration this past Monday, it was announced that 
Basketball and
ate positive impact on the Fight Against Hunger — locally, regionally & globally. Thank you all again for making history this year at Hunger Hike.
