In 2010 record numbers of individuals and families using the hunger programs at Third Presbyterian Church created an urgent need to raise additional funds.

A grassroots group of volunteers from Third started talking about a run & walk to fight hunger and the the East Avenue Grocery Run was born. Realizing immediately that this event would be bigger than Third, we set out to support our hunger programs as well as those at Foodlink and other agencies across the city. We had the drive and the spirit–and a budget of $0.

Enter Wegmans.  Then Unity Health Systems,  Excellus BCBS, JCS Process and Control Systems, Simon Business School and Anthony Funeral Chapels. Our fabulous local business community responded immediately, agreeing to financially support an unproven team of eager volunteers because we asked.

How many cities our size have the rich culture of philanthropy
and corporate giving that Rochester does? Corporate sponsorships cover our biggest costs–Rochester City Police and Yellowjacket Racing timing services–so that registration fees can go directly to the agencies we support. Thanks to our sponsors and the thousands of fabulous Rochester runners and walkers who come out in any weather to help their community we’ve raised $64K to fight hunger locally since 2010.

In recent years AudioScience, Synaptics, Inc., Fairport Savings Bank and Marathon Financial have all joined the fight, helping us make improvements and increase the amount of money we can donate to local hunger programs every year.

Planning for our 5th Annual Grocery Run is well underway and we are grateful to have had new sponsors join us every year. Wegmans remains the title sponsor of our main event, the “Wegmans 5K Run and Walk,” MVP joined us as the proud sponsor of the family-oriented “MVP Family Mile” and SMP Corp. is the fun behind the kids’ events, the “SMP Boogie for Broccoli.” Brand-new this year, Ardent Learning has agreed to sponsor our 125+ fabulous race-day volunteers.

Interested in becoming a sponsor? Sponsorships range from $600 to $5,000 and we are happy to customize sponsorship levels to match your interests.

Or, for a $300 donation, have your family’s name or your company name listed on the back of our shirt as a “Hunger Fighter.”  So far 2014 Hunger Fighters Include: CF Pollack Child Psychology, Daniel Fischer Photography, and LaBella Associates–we’d love to add lots names to that list! Email me for more information.

–Kerrie Merz, co-director, East Avenue Grocery Run