Photo: Robert Poole |
Challenge Ignites Michigan CROP Hunger Walk
Dr. Bill Ritter of First United Methodist Church of Birmingham and Dr. Norman Pritchard of Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church have a running competition over the "Heart and Sole" Award, a large gold shoe trophy that goes to the top fundraising church each year in the Birmingham/Bloomfield Area CROP Hunger Walk. For years the trophy stayed at First United Methodist Church (FUMC). But in 2002, Kirk in the Hills topped FUMC by a few hundred dollars, and the trophy had to be handed over. In 2003, Kirk in the Hills again beat out FUMC. In 2004, because it would be Dr. Ritter's last CROP Hunger Walk before his retirement, he let the congregation know that he would really like to see FUMC in the top spot again. The congregation responded well, and despite remarkable efforts by the folks at Kirk in the Hills, FUMC was able to reclaim the top spot and the trophy now sits in a glass case in the church's Christian Life Center.
This competition has helped to grow the CROP Hunger Walk. First United Methodist and Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian raised two-thirds of the 2004 WALK'S record-setting $58,344 -; $23,120 and $18,000 respectively. And the pair were number one and two among CROP Hunger Walk churches in Michigan. The other nine churches in the Birmingham/Bloomfield Area CROP Hunger Walk also saw increases in participants and pledges.