Despite a steady rain, thousands of walkers made their way to downtown Hartford on Sunday, May 1 to show their commitment to our hungry neighbors in Greater Hartford. Foodshare President & CEO, James Arena-DeRosa, said it best when he shared his own story from the stage. “As I looked out my window on Sunday, getting ready for my first ‘Walk’ in Hartford, I was disappointed—it was overcast, rainy, and cold. But then I thought about Francis, a man I recently met who happens to be blind, and who walks each day with his service dog to the local food pantry. Almost a mile this man walks—in rain, in snow, in cold—because he is hungry and because he can’t afford bus fare.”
While dollars from the 33rd Annual Foodshare Walk Against Hunger are still being counted, walkers have so far raised $564,284—including a $30,000 match from The Chase Family Foundations. This money will secure healthy food for people like Francis, who struggle to put food on the table.
Local celebrities, including Brad Davis from WDRC’s Talk of Connecticut, Chaz from 102.9 The Whale and Kim Lucey from WFSB, were all there to support the effort and get walkers energized. The rain did not dampen spirits, and while many people sported orange ponchos—distributed by Foodshare—you could still make out team shirts from groups like CCSU, Grace Lutheran Church and Cognizant. And of course, hundreds of employees from The Hartford swathed the park in sea of blue.
Teams or walkers who have not yet turned in their pledges are urged to do so right away. Foodshare is still accepting donations, online at
FoodshareWalk.org or by mail. And thanks to the generosity of event sponsors like The Hartford and Stop & Shop, every dollar raised will increase access to healthy food for children, seniors and working-poor families across the region, ensuring a stronger and healthier community for us all.
