Kids Walk for Carroll County Food Sunday at Runnymede Elementary School

The annual walk for Carroll County Food Sunday will take place Friday, April 26, at Runnymede Elementary. 

Founded by Susan Routson, a physical education teacher at Runnymede, the walk has continued now for 15 years.  In that time, students have raised more than $114,000 to help Carroll County Food Sunday with its annual operating expense.  Runnymeade hopes to raise $7,000 for Food Sunday this year. 

In addition to the walk, third, fourth and fifth grade students spent the month of March participating in the annual tee-shirt design contest.  Each year the students and teachers vote for the winning design and that design is printed on shirts for the whole school to wear on the day of the walk.

Business sponsors are advertised on the back of the tee-shirt. The school is still looking for businesses to donate.

Runnymede already got a jump-start on their donation goal when they sponsored a staff basketball game. 

The staff of Runnymede faced off against the staff of Taneytown Elementary at Francis Scott Key High School on March 15.  The event featured performances by the combined Eisteddfod choruses and fifth grade pep bands of the two elementary schools as well as the Runnymede Honors Chorus and Runnymede’s staff dance team “The RUE Crew.”

The game helped raise more than $1,300, which will be put towards the $7,000 donation goal for Carroll County Food Sunday. 

Carroll County Food Sunday is a nonprofit organization which helps provide emergency and supplemental food needs for residents across Carroll County.  Food Sunday serves 3 to 4 days’ worth of food to families that range from 1 to 10 people per household.  The organization currently serves about 325 families per week in Westminster, Eldersburg and Taneytown regularly and has seen a dramatic increase in the number of families in need in the last year.

Dorothy Stottlemyer, Fund Raising Chair for Food Sunday, admits it has been more difficult for Food Sunday to keep their pantry stocked with the additional families in need.

“In the winter months we have plenty but in the summer, the pantry usually runs a bit low.” Stottlemyer said.  “We are not in red at this time. So far we are holding our own.” 

Each year Food Sunday raises between $250,000 and $450,000. It also collects food at all times during the year.

“Our 'core' products are eggs, meat, cereal and mac and cheese.  Additionally, we give out pasta and pasta sauce, vegetables, and fruit, beans, soup and tuna. If Food Sunday does not have a product, we try to buy it at the best available price. Sometimes we do not have all we would like to give out.” Stottlemyer said.

For more information, to sponsor the students at Runnymede or to donate, visit the Carroll County Food Sunday website or contact Susan Routson at 410-751-3203.