By Susan Shinn

For The Salisbury Post

The South Rowan CROP Walk is set for this Sunday, Oct. 11, at 3 p.m. in downtown China Grove. Registration begins at 2 p.m., with the walk starting and ending at First Methodist Church, 210 Church St.

Because of recent pastoral changes at area churches, this is the county’s only CROP Walk this year.

Nancy Yates headed the South Rowan efforts for the past five years. When her husband retired as First Methodist’s pastor, she passed her responsibilities on to church member Megan Parks; Shane Roberts, associate and student pastor at First Reformed Church in Landis; Anne Corriher, executive director of Main Street Mission in China Grove; and Tricia Hall, the mission’s administrative assistant.

Support from the walk is critical to Main Street Mission, Corriher said Wednesday. “We received $2,000 a year for the past two years.”

That’s a large check for her organization, she said. “That’s not the norm for us, but small donations are important, too. With our new Bridge Builders project (a program to assist families in poverty), it takes more money to operate, so the money from CROP does come in handy.”

Roberts is garnering support from several different age groups at his church. He passed out tubes of M&M’s and asked young children to bring back the tubes filled with change. He ran out of tubes.

“Our kids are all excited to be participating that way,” he said.

He’s pleased that the church’s youth group is participating.

“So often our youth live in their own world,” Roberts said. “They need to know that people around the world aren’t as blessed as we are, as well as people locally.”

Corriher admitted that the CROP Walk has gotten a lot of competition in recent years from area 5K races. Sunday’s event is not a race, just a time for families and church members to get together and walk.

In previous years, CROP money went overseas for hunger relief efforts. Now, 25 percent of the money stays local — and it’s needed.

“This is the time of year we have to buy groceries for the food pantry, because of a lull before the holidays,” Hall said.

The 3.1-mile route will start at First Methodist Church, continue onto Main Street, go to Main Street Mission, then to Thom Street, Franklin Street, First Baptist Church for a water stop, Ketchie Street, and Main Street back to First Methodist.

For more information about the walk, call Main Street Mission at 704-855-2909.

 

Freelance writer Susan Shinn lives in Salisbury.