AMHERST — With demand for food soaring at the Amherst Survival Center during the COVID-19 pandemic, a fundraising effort that encourages families and individuals to get outdoors is underway.
Hike for Hunger is replacing the usual fall event, Feed the Spirit, a sitdown dinner and auction that was canceled to promote safety and social distancing.
“We really needed to fill the fundraising gap, and felt like a lot of people who are spending time on Zoom and on screen would like this,” said Executive Director Lev Ben-Ezra.
The new event provides an opportunity for people to engage in a safe and healthy activity and get outdoors before winter arrives, Ben-Ezra said, replicating similar fundraisers that involve walking, running and biking.
Each person can register on the amherstsurvival.org website as an individual, a household or a team, and then set a challenge goal. Once registered, people can make donations related to reaching the goal, with all proceeds going to the center’s COVID-19 Hunger Response Fund.
Ben-Ezra said participants can share pictures and information on their own social media pages while tagging the center and sharing links.
The pressure on the center’s services is real, Ben-Ezra said. In October the site more than doubled the number of prepared meals and groceries provided to families and individuals in pre-pandemic times.
The entry fee is $25 and registrants get a Hike for Hunger T-shirt, and are elidible for prizes as well. Hike for Hunger will run through the end of the month.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
