VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – On a balmy 70 degree Wednesday night over 100 walkers, plus 6 dogs came out to walk and make a statement about hunger. They were also raising money to help hungry people here in Barnes County and across the world.

Many were confirmation students from the various churches, and some were surprised that almost 5% of North Dakota families are food insecure. That translates into 1 out of 12 children who are hungry stated the facts from one of the booths to be found along the 1 mile that surrounds Jefferson School where the walk took place.

In Barnes County last year almost 2000 people were served with food from the Barnes County Food Pantry. Twenty percent of the funds raised by the hunger walk will go to the Barnes County Food Pantry and 5% will go to the fairly new Hiliner Food Pantry.

Worldwide, more than 48 million people are facing emergency levels of hunger, with the threat of acute malnutrition, starvation, and death, according to the World Food Program with 45% of child deaths worldwide due to hunger related causes. Beyond that there are 800 million facing some degree of hunger in the world The ecumenical Hunger Walk included Connect Church, Faith Lutheran, Trinity Lutheran, Our Saviors Lutheran, Epworth Methodist, Congregational Church and a number of individuals.

One of the booths along the walk demonstrated how bednets in Africa can help prevent malaria, a deadly disease. Another let walkers taste a new grain in the form of a cracker called kernza. It has a root system much deeper than wheat which is healthy for the soil. It is being developed by the University on Minnesota.

If anyone would like to donate to the CROP WALK for HUNGER they are invited to drop their donation off at any of the churches listed above.