A group of marchers take place in a previous years March for the Food Bank event.
Photo credit: Matthew Cavanaugh Photography
For the 15th year, the March for Food Bank with Monte Belmonte will take place on Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 25 and 26 to help raise funds for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.
Each November, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and Monte Belmonte lead the march against hunger through the Pioneer Valley.
This year the goal is to raise $500,000 which is the equivalent of 1.5 million meals. For every $1 that is donated or fundraised, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts is able to provide three nutritious meals to people facing food insecurity in Western Massachusetts.
Food Bank of Western Massachusetts Public Engagement Manager Cheyenne Burnham talked about how the money raised helps.
She said, “Currently we’re feeding. It’s getting close to 120,000 people a month right now. We are the food hub for Western Massachusetts and we provide food to 187 pantries so they need is high as inflation increases, cost of daycare, cost of rent, there’s so many things that people are dealing with. All the money raised directly benefits the Food Bank and allows us to purchase more food and we’re able to stretch a dollar and make as impactful as possible.”
15 years ago, Belmonte pushed an empty shopping cart from Northampton to Greenfield with the goal of raising $5,000 for the Food Bank. He raised $13,000 and began an annual tradition that has been transformed into the three county, 43-mile march it is today.
Belmonte is joined by U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, Food Bank Executive Director Andrew Morehouse and supporters as they raise funds to help provide healthy meals to neighbors at risk of hunger.
The community is encouraged to make donations by phone or online to benefit the Food Bank’s mission while Belmonte and the marchers make their way across three counties.
Readers interested in joining/forming a team or donating to the cause can do so at marchforthefoodbank.org.
Individuals and teams can register to fundraise and join for some or all of the march and signups are open until the second day of the march.
“Folks can sign up, join the march. We’ve got some lunches donated both days and we’ve got lots of businesses donating coffee and hot chocolate and cookies and stuff along the way to keep people fueled. We got a lot of good stuff and it’s a good time,” Burnham said when talking more about the event.
The first day begins with a 6:30 a.m. kickoff ceremony at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Springfield. Coffee and small bites will be available to fuel the first day’s trek to Northampton. There will also be featured speakers to express their appreciation and gratitude.
Day two begins at 6 a.m. outside McGovern’s Northampton office on Pleasant Street. It continues by heading across the bridge into Hadley where marchers make a rest stop along Route 9 before entering Amherst.
Belmonte is joined by what is considered the largest group of either day as groups of students from local schools often join the march as it passes through downtown.
Last year over 200 participants walked in the March for the Food Bank for the stretch from downtown through the University of Massachusetts campus and to the Amherst Survival Center.
“We’ve got so many people involved. We have hundreds of marchers that join the march over the two days. Every year it’s grown and grown,” Burham said.
The route is also available at www.foodbankwma.org/events/montes-march.
Starting on Tuesday, Nov. 12, another way the Food Bank raises money for the March for the Food Bank is by distributing 100 mixed bags between State Street Fruit Market in Northampton and Cooper’s Corner in Florence.
Burnham explained, “With a $100 donation, you can get a bag full of local beer and wine and gift cards and stuff. It’s a little kickback for a $100 donation that we have until they’re sold out.”
Fundraising continues through the end of the year. In 2023, the 14th annual March for the Food Bank raised $517,194 of its $500,000 goal and enabled the Food Bank to provide over 1.5 million meals to the community.
