The Sunday weather was picture perfect for the 50th annual Erie County Crop Hunger walk at Presque Isle State Park.

It's an event that brings many churches and other community members together -- all walking to raise money to feed the hungry.

For five decades the local crop walk has brought out hundreds of people each year in support of the cause.  Each walker secures donations from sponsors for their trek around Presque Isle State Park.  Erie News Now Mark Soliday walked and served as emcee, helping inspire walkers for the historic event.

When the donations are all counted, walkers hope to raise 100-thousand-dollars this year, to add to the more than 3-million raised over the last 50 years. In 2024 walkers locally raised 89-thousand-dollars, setting a record.

Erie's long history of a strong crop walk brought national president and CEO Rick Santos of Church World Service to town for the special anniversary.  Church World Service started the nationwide crop walk 80-years-ago. Santos said the Erie walk is the most beautiful he's seen.  "This crop hunger walk has been alive and well and functioning and helping people around the corner and around the world for 50 years. So [I'm] just really excited to be with the local community, local churches to say something about hunger."

Jim Haas who has been walking the walk for more than 40 years, and coordinating it for the past 11 years said he believes the walk will continue. "We all want to help people in need and there's no reason we should have hungry people still in our world, there's plenty of food it's just a matter of getting it distributed in the right places, so as long as there's hunger I think most all of us will keep coming," Haas said.