Forty-two years on
"Since its start in 1984, the Hunger Walk Run" has "raised more than $16 million for hunger relief," according to the food bank.1 The 42nd annual event, held at The Home Depot Backyard in Atlanta, drew "nearly 4,000 participants" and "raised over $885,000 to date." The food bank says the event generated "enough funds to provide the equivalent of 2.6 million meals." The figures are reported "to date" and as meal equivalents, not as net proceeds after costs.
Donors pick the partner
The Hunger Walk Run "benefits the Atlanta Community Food Bank and other local nonprofit hunger relief organizations," and "participants and donors are encouraged to support the benefiting partner of their choice."2
That's an unusual structure, and it widens who can take part. A church food pantry, a school backpack program or a neighborhood meal service can bring its own volunteers and donors to a large, well-run event instead of organizing a walk itself. For the food bank, partners widen the circle of walkers. For donors, it means giving to the pantry down the street while being part of a citywide day. (The releases don't publish how the total is divided between the food bank and its partners, so we don't estimate it.)
Joining a bigger walk instead of starting one
For a small pantry or meal program, joining a host event like this is often a better deal than running its own walk. There's no permit, route, sound system or insurance to arrange, and walkers get a bigger day than a single congregation could put on. What the partner has to bring is people. The small organization's job becomes recruiting a team and asking its own supporters, the part of a walk only it can do.
Before signing on, get the terms in writing. Ask how gifts made in your name are tracked and reported to you, when and how the money reaches you, and whether any share stays with the host. Find out whether your team can walk under its own banner, and which of your donors' contact details you'll receive afterward. Those answers vary from one host event to another, and Atlanta's releases don't spell out its own. Turned around, the same questions are the checklist for a large walk thinking of inviting partners: settle each one before the first partner signs up.
Translating a registration into meals
The food bank's pitch is built on a simple conversion: "Each registered walker helps provide 90 meals, while each runner helps provide 120 meals."2
"Help provide 90 meals" is easier to say yes to than "please register." It also gives walkers a ready-made line for their own asks: "If you sponsor me, here's what it does." Any cause with a clear unit of impact, whether meals, books, nights of shelter or hours of tutoring, can borrow the idea. Our letter templates leave room for exactly this kind of line.
A walk and a run, in person or not
The event combines a walk with a 5K run, held "rain or shine," with "music, food vendors, warm-ups" and a free event app. Participants can take part in person or virtually.2 The food bank describes the result as a "hybrid event."1 Offering a run alongside the walk brings in a second audience, people who wouldn't sign up for a walk but will for a 5K, while the virtual option keeps far-flung supporters involved. The virtual walk-a-thon guide covers running both formats at once, and the charity walk-a-thon guide walks through venues, permits and teams. In Boston, Project Bread's Walk for Hunger also lets smaller organizations raise money under its banner.
Sources
- Atlanta Community Food Bank, Hunger Walk Run press release (March 23, 2026; accessed October 19, 2026).
- Atlanta Community Food Bank, 2025 Hunger Walk Run press release (accessed October 19, 2026).