More than 200 community residents — mostly high school and college students — turned out on a cold, windy Sunday last weekend to participate in the annual Cazenovia Crop Walk for hunger.

And they raised more than $2,500 for local and world hunger programs.

“It’s good to take time out and think about issues in our own community and worldwide,” said Sam Langan, president of Project Café, the main sponsor of this year’s event.

The Crop Walk is a national awareness campaign during which participants raise money and participate in community walks to raise awareness and educate the public on the topic of hunger, both locally and worldwide.

“We’re walking in solidarity with people who struggle every day,” John Dermody, Common Grounds service learning coordinator, said at the start of the event.

The Cazenovia Crop Walk started more than 25 years ago, always organized by local churches, until the students of Project Café took it over last year.

The Cazenovia Crop Walk will give 75 percent of the proceeds to Church World Service for global hunger relief and 25 percent to go locally to Caz Cares and the St. James Church Mustard Seed in Georgetown, Dermody said.

The Cazenovia event started at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, at St. Peter’s Church on Chenango Street, and had more than 200 participants who raised money and took part in the walk. Among the participants were members of Project Café; Cazenovia College students; athletes from the Cazenovia High School football, field hockey, volleyball, tennis and cross country teams; and members of CHS 4-H and Student Health Initiative groups.

“We just want to donate to the cause,” said Ashley Wheeler, CHS teacher and coach of the high school cheer team. “It’s about community spirit and team spirit.”

About 50 Cazenovia College students — members of the college equestrian team and the equine business management program — also participated in the event, and brought along with them four miniature horses.

“We like to get involved in the community and connect with the village,” said Cazenovia College junior Elena Crowley, who participated in last year’s Cazenovia Crop Walk as well.

While final fundraising numbers were not completely tallied by press time, the Crop Walk raised more than $2,500, with $875 raised online and $700 raised by one CHS student alone.

“I just love to see the kids recognize that not everyone lives as they do,” said Allison Langan, Project Café board member. She called it a “fun, profitable and effective” fundraiser that “just warms my heart. … It’s just another reason to love Caz.”

Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at [email protected].