Harry Chapin’s Humanitarian Efforts Live On in Annual Race Against Hunger
Should you forego your typical Sunday morning activities — sleeping in, cooking a big breakfast, watching football pre-game shows — next week, consider doing so for a good cause. For the 39th straight year, the Harry Chapin Memorial Run/Walk Against Hunger at Croton on Hudson will continue its efforts in fighting local, national, and global hunger.
Honoring “Cats in the Cradle” singer/songwriter, Harry Chapin, the Oct. 20 event looks to honor the life goal of the performer by collecting participant donations. Contributing payments vary based on the race you elect to run in; as high as $35 for the 10:00 a.m. 10K race, as low as $14 for the 11:45 a.m. one-mile Fun Run.
But even though some of the morning’s runs have the “race” label, the day is not at all about the competition. “We know how important this issue is, and how difficult it must be for those dealing with it,” said Tim Matthews, a Hudson Valley native who is now a two-time runner. “So the donation is the important piece, not the race.”
While making his name as a successful musician, humanitarianism was really Chapin’s calling, making his lifelong motto, “When in doubt, do something.”. He successful lobbied congressmen and President Jimmy Carter in order to establish a President Commission on World Hunger. He also started Long Island Cares, one of the country’s first regional food banks which has since been renamed “Long Island Cares: The Harry Chapin Food Bank.” Through these avenues, Chapin put millions of dollars toward fighting hunger, inspiring fans in succession. So much so that, following his tragic death in 1981 (he died in a car accident at age 38), a group of locals founded the race in his name, looking to further his efforts in fighting hunger.
Chapin’s motto is certainly at the front of the racer’s minds. So far, 399 participants have signed up and pledged, ages ranging from 6 to 79; furthermore, this year’s goal of $20,000 in donations is nearly halfway complete, currently sitting at $8,183. Over the course of the event’s 39 years, $540,000 has been raised, additionally benefiting three national and international non-profit organizations in the United States, Haiti, and Mozambique.
1989’s Field of Dreams first popularized the saying, “if you build it, they will come.” The film came out eight years after Chapin’s death, but it feels applicable. Even though he’s gone, his efforts live on (and have for 39 years.) If the participants have any say, this will continue for another 39.
“He did something important,” Matthews said. “You can see it… that deserves to live on.”
