BU students raise money to fight world hunger by walking marathon

Before most students were awake on Saturday morning, 47 Boston University volunteers began their nearly 27-mile trek through Allston, out of the city and to Heifer International’s Overlook Farm in Rutland.

The student volunteers were participants in the two-day Hike for Hunger, which raised more than $1,000 to fight world hunger, the hike’s organizers said.

All proceeds went to Heifer International, said Ali Weltman, a College of Communication junior who helped organize the hike, along with COM junior Bethany Reynolds and College of Arts and Sciences junior Bridget Burgoyne.

The students walked 18.6 miles on Saturday, arriving in Framingham by the evening, Weltman said.

On Sunday, the volunteers walked to Heifer Learning Center at Overlook Farm in Rutland, where they learned about the organization’s efforts to end world hunger.

Heifer International provides farm animals and training to impoverished communities around the world in order to improve a family’s nutrition and to provide a sustainable source of income, Weltman said. Once a family has received a farm animal from Heifer International, they are expected to give an offspring of the animal to another family in need.

“We raised a thousand dollars this year, which is great,” Weltman said. While each student in the Hike for Hunger was required to raise a minimum of $20 to $25, many participants earned more.

“A lot of the people who participated started raising money ahead of time, and a lot of them raised more than the $25 requirement,” she said.

Students who participated in the Hike for Hunger said that they were very excited about doing so and were happy to help out those in need.

Soshie Aborn, a junior in COM, said she had never heard about the Hike for Hunger until this year.

“This past summer I was a coordinator for [the First Year Student Outreach Program] and my issue area was hunger, so I decided to do some follow up community service,” Aborn said.

Lindsay Beatty, a junior in the School of Education, said she went to support members of her sorority sisters.

“I haven’t heard of it before, but I’m in Sigma Kappa, so there are five of us here walking.” she said. “It’s a lot of fun. We just wanted to turn out for support.”

Christina Taubert, a Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences junior, also said she was a first-timer in the Hike. She said she had heard about the hike through previous community service projects and was eager to help.

“I have taken part in a few other community service programs, like FYSOP, and I had heard about the hike, but never looked into it before,” Taubert said. “Then I did this year, and I loved it.”