Archive: Around Town

Chris Allinger told his audience last Friday that he will be, once again, 'Walking the Country' for the Food Bank of the Southern Tier's BackPack Program™. He also said that this walk, his fourth, would be the last.

"I truly love this event", said Allinger, "but the simple fact of the matter is that there will always be a need for the backpack program and the effort to fund if for our County needs to grow and evolve..."

Allinger added that there will be something new in place of the walk next year. "We're at the very beginning stages of planning the replacement."For now all effort is going into making this the most successful year yet."

Last year Allinger collected more than $33,000 for the backpack program by asking people to meet him on the road to donate $3 to the cause. $3 is what it costs to put together a backpack for the weekend.   This year's "Walkin' the Country" event is set for September 14-18th and will take the DJ to every town in Tompkins County raising funds for the program that helps children at risk of hunger on weekends and holidays during the school year.

Once again this year, Allinger is teaming with Cornell Athletics & Physical Education staff, coaches and friends.  On the morning of September 14th at 10:00 Allinger will begin his walk from the front of the Friedman Wrestling Center on the Cornell campus.  Allinger says, "What a thrill it is to start the walk at Cornell.  The staff assembles in a tremendous line cheering the very first steps as the very first check goes into the backpack."


Cornell Director of Athletics & Physical Education, Andy Noel says, "Charity begins at home. We must not allow children in our county, Tompkins County, to go hungry. I hope you will join me and the Big Red staff in supporting Chris Allinger's walk that will raise critical funding for the acclaimed BackPack Program™."

The Food Bank's BackPack Program™ provides healthy, child-friendly, and easy to prepare foods to children at risk of hunger over weekends and holiday breaks when children do not have access to school meal programs. Each Friday children in need receive a bag of simple, easy to prepare nutritious food to get them through weekends and holidays. These children, who rely on school meal programs for sustenance, may otherwise go without when school is not in session.

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