Archive: Around Town

Lansing's Central Fire Station was the halfway point Wednesday for 1037 Q-Country's Chris Allinger, who was 'Walkin' The Country' all week to raise money for the Food Bank of the Southern Tier's Backpack Program™.  Allinger is walking over 100 miles all around Tompkins County getting people to contribute by putting checks and cash into his backpack.

"We've had such a wonderful reception here and they've been putting money into the backpack," Wake Up Q host Allinger said.  "Some of them explained that they did a bottle and can drive to collect that money, and they placed it in my backpack because they wanted it to go to the children to make sure they have something to eat over the weekends.  Beautiful, beautiful kids helping other kids.  We love that."


Allinger says people stop him frequently along the route.  Some are country fans who know all about the campaign.  But others are baffled when they see a man walking down the road in a bright yellow hat and T-shirt with a tall 'Q' flag and a backpack.

"They give you a funny look, and some people ask what I'm doing," he says.  "They say 'I've got to go to the bank.  I'll catch up with you' and nine out of ten times that happens.  Things are going smoothly.  We're hitting our marks.  I have had to jog just a little to keep some appointments but we're doing pretty well."

Last year Allinger raised nearly $30,000.  This Monday he had barely taken his first step at the starting line on the Cornell campus when the Cornell Athletics & Physical Education staff, coaches and friends donated a check for $6,500, with others tossing cash into his backpack as he walked the gauntlet.


In Lansing he was met by Connie Wilcox, who presented checks for $240 from the North Lansing Auxiliary, and a personal check for $120 from Connie and her husband Ed.  Together that is enough to feed three children for the entire school year.

"Every $120 means a child will get a full school year of weekend and holiday meals that go home from school with them in their backpacks," Allinger said.  "Every year we get more support."


In addition to hosting the lunch stop, the Lansing Fire Department donated $138 in cash.

"We thank you for what you do for all the children of the county," said Lansing's Deputy Fire Chief Brad George.  "We appreciate what you do and this is our way of saying thanks."

Part of the Allinger's hiking gear is a small iPod that helps pass the time during five solid days of walking.  Is it filled with Country music?  Well, some of it...

"It's a good deal of Country, but not all," Allinger laughs.  "If I'm going to a hill I've got a tempo I want to hit, so I bounce around to different genres.  Sometimes it's Country, sometimes it's Rock... whatever the tempo is that I need at the time."


It's a winding route that takes Allinger all over Tompkins County, all on foot except for a boat ride connecting Lansing to Trumansburg.  From Cornell he hiked to Slaterville Monday, then to Dryden and Groton Tuesday.  Wednesday he got to Lansing Central Station at noon, in time for lunch provided by Booker's Backyard. 

Last year Allinger was 'kidnapped' by the Lansing schools, so this year he made the schools a scheduled stop.  He said he is willing to be 'kidnapped' as long as he is driven back to the spot where he was picked up so he can resume his walk.

From the Lansing school campus he walked down the hill to Myers Park, where he caught a boat to Trumansburg, his last stop for the day.  Yesterday he walked from Trumansburg to Enfield to Newfield, and today he is finishing with stops in Danby, Ithaca College, and Wegman's in Ithaca.

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