As of Friday morning, June 20, Walk for Rice has raised $134,000 out of its $200,000 goal.
Walk for Rice is a fundraising event featuring a 2.5 mile walk/run. Each year, about 1,000 participants help Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) buy rice and other food for the ACRS Food Bank.
As ACRS’ signature community event, Walk for Rice brings in a diverse crowd of families, church groups, sororities/fraternities, professional associations and more. ACRS is partnering with major businesses and non-profits like Pepsi, Boeing, Microsoft, and the University of Washington.
ACRS’ Food Bank is the one of the most visited food banks in King County, and the only one in the state that regularly acquires foods to meet Asian Pacific dietary needs. More than 5,000 people a year rely on the Food Bank and Nutrition Programs to have enough to eat. Most are children under 18 years old or seniors over 55; most come from low-income, Asian Pacific American households. The food bank, located in Seattle’s International District, provides items like rice, tofu, ramen, fish, and fresh produce. ACRS’ goal is to help clients lead healthy lives with nutritious food options.
Fighting hunger has been a constant battle for APIs. As of April 2009, a total of 5,479 people in King County received State Food Assistance—37 percent (2,047) of those recipients were API, according to Linda Stone, food policy director at the Children’s Alliance, a statewide child advocacy group. Marshallese and Vietnamese make up the largest groups of API recipients. And about 1,000 Marshallese Washingtonians rely on State Food Assistance, according to recent research by Holly Barker, advisor to the Marshallese government.
The 24th Annual Walk for Rice event happens Saturday, June 28 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Seward Park, 5902 Lake Washington Blvd S, Seattle, WA.
All ages are welcome—so are friendly, leashed dogs.
ACRS offers shuttle service from their building on 3639 MLK Jr. Way S. You can park for free in their lot and catch the bus to Seward Park. Shuttles begin at 8:00 a.m. and continue every 20-30 minutes until 1:00 p.m.
Note: Parking is limited in the park. Please make arrangements to carpool or use public transit. Metro Route 50 serves the Seward Park area; you can also visit Metro Trip Planner for more personalized routes. For more information, visit walkforrice.kintera.org