As WRSI The River radio host Christopher “Monte” Belmonte continued to lead the way from Springfield to Greenfield on his annual march to fight hunger Tuesday, students from across Franklin County participated in their own mini marches.
“We want them to develop empathy and kindness,” Conway Grammar School Principal Kristen Gordon said Tuesday. “And we want them to be more aware of the world around them.”
On Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning, students of Conway Grammar School walked in small groups up and down the driveway, and then — depending on the grade level — looped around the parking lot, or behind the school. The oldest students walked about a half-mile in total, Gordon said .
Their march represented a miniature version of the 43-mile walk from Springfield to Greenfield called Monte’s March that Belmonte has led for the last 11 years to raise awareness of hunger in the region while raising money for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. The food bank announced Wednesday that this year’s march raised a record-breaking $614,000, nearly twice the $340,000 that was raised in 2019. The goal this year was $365,000.
Similarly, students of Turners Falls High School and Great Falls Middle School walked a 6-mile route around Turners Falls — switching it up from the previous three years, when they walked a portion of Monte’s March.
According to a press release from Stacey Langknecht, family engagement coordinator with the Gill-Montague Regional School District, 29 students and five staff members walked the distance. As of Wednesday morning, the schools had raised more than $10,000, doubling their $5,000 goal.
Sunderland Elementary School students, too, participated in a mini march, walking 43 minutes on Monday to represent each mile walked during Belmonte’s two-day march across the three counties.
In Conway, students carried signs with messages raising awareness about hunger, or to say thank you to Belmonte for organizing the fundraiser for which they were marching in solidarity, and for the people who donated to the food bank.
“We usually do it all together, but instead we’re doing it in smaller groups throughout the morning,” Gordon said, noting the change amid pandemic-related health safety restrictions. “It’s great to have the kids involved.”
In it’s fifth year participating, the school raised $5,400 by Tuesday afternoon for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, surpassing its $5,000 goal.
“For such a small school, we’re excited,” Gordon said.
In addition to raising money, the students also donated food.
“They know what they’re marching for,” Gordon said.
Jojo Musante, 7, said participating in the walk and the fundraiser was a fun way to help others.
“I like participating because it’s helping a lot of people,” said the second-grader.
“You’re getting to help people in need,” agreed 8-year-old Belle Treme.
Fifth-graders Lucy Zraunig, 11, and Avah Spearance, 10, both said hunger is a “very important issue,” and that’s why it’s important they walk.
“(Participating) shows that we care, and that we’re acknowledging people get hungry,” Zraunig said.
Likewise, first-grade students at Colrain Central School hosted their own mini march at Mohawk Trail Regional School. For about 45 minutes on Tuesday, students and their families walked around the school’s track.
“It was a great turnout, and the kids were really excited about it,” commented Colrain Central School Principal Amy Looman.
Their walk was part of a larger school-wide service-learning initiative surrounding food insecurity in the region, according to Looman. It was the school’s first mini march.
“Every class has been addressing it in some way,” Looman said. “(The first-graders’) project was two-fold. One was the march and raising money for that, and the other was to help get the word out. In addition to seeing how much money they were raising, they were tracking how much the (Facebook) post got shared or liked.”
Looman said it was “remarkable” to see how fast such a small group of students raised a comparatively large sum of money. As of Tuesday afternoon, the class had raised just over $2,000 toward its $5,000 goal.
“My hope is they would come away seeing themselves as people who can make a difference,” she said. “They don’t have to wait until they’re grownups to do that. They can use their voice now… to make a difference in the world that they’re in.”
Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne