10K Hike on White Pine Trail Kicks Off Food Bank’s Million Meal March | Arts & Culture

This fall, Feeding America West Michigan Food Bank is embarking on a new campaign to defeat hunger in West Michigan: the Million Meal March. It begins on Saturday, September 29, with a 10-kilometer hike from the Food Bank to Belmont and back along the White Pine Trail.

The Million Meal March is a multi-faceted fundraising push that runs from September through March. We hope to raise — with corporate sponsorships, pledges from the White Pine Trail Hike,  individual donations and a series of restaurant benefits called Eat Out to Beat Hunger — $238,000, which is enough money to send an additional 1 million meals to local hunger relief agencies.

Food insecurity remains high in Michigan. Statewide, 1.87 million people worry about purchasing enough food to feed themselves and their families. In our service area, from Benton Harbor to the western U.P., more than 354,000 people are food insecure, one-third of them under 18.

A collective effort is essential if we’re going to meet this need. We encourage each participant in the White Pine Trail Hike to raise $100 for Feeding America West Michigan, remembering that every dollar enables us to distribute $10 worth of food. Those interested may register online.

In gratitude for their hospitality and to help preserve this indispensable West Michigan park, 5 percent of the proceeds from the September 29 trail hike will be donated to Friends of the White Pine Trail.

The September 29 White Pine Trail Hike begins at Feeding America West Michigan in Comstock Park (864 West River Center Drive). Local bands Hawks and Owls and Chinese Baseball will open the day with music at 9 a.m. Participants can register in person, pick up t-shirts and drop off donations prior to the hike, which kicks off at 10 a.m. Water will be provided along the way, and The Corner Bar of Rockford will serve their famous hotdogs, free of charge, at the halfway point in Belmont.

This is a family-friendly event. Children and pets are welcome, though we urge participants to leave this public trail as pristine as they found it.

Hunger is a daunting challenge, but together we have the strength to defeat it. Dream with us. March with us. September 29.