Unalaska, AK – The first-ever Unalaska CROP Walk took place over the weekend. Eighteen participants aged 3 to 70 walked 10 kilometers, or about 6 miles, around the community to raise money for the food bank at U-SAFV and for international organizations that feed the hungry. Dan Wilcox organized the walk with other volunteers at the United Methodist Church. He was encouraged by the participation for a first time event.

"As a first time walk, it's pretty exciting to get anyone out to walk, and I'm looking forward to next year being bigger and even being able to do a little more to help the folks in town," he said.

Donations are still rolling in but so far the walk has raised more than $700. A quarter of the money will stay in the community.

"We have a number of people in the community who get assistance especially through U-SAFV at holidays and also when people are out of work and need food," Wilcox said. "U-SAFV also steps in there, working with the churches and trying to just respond to that need. Twenty-five percent of the money raised through the walk is able to come back to U-SAFV and their efforts."

CROP Walk, which stands for Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty, began in 1969 in North Dakota. Two thousand communities host walks around the country every year. You can still donate by contacting the Unalaska United Methodist Church.