By Chris Falcone

Over 300 people battled overcast skies and a chill in the air, as the annual Good Friday Walk continued its yearly tradition of raising money for the underprivileged.

For 25 years the University’s Christian Campus Ministries, in conjunction with the Interfaith Nutrition Network (INN), has sponsored a pilgrimage of solidarity with the hungry and homeless of Long Island. The pilgrimage, a 10-mile walk beginning and culminating at the University and traveling throughout the surrounding community, is considered a form of prayer. Randall Guerrier, of Uniondale, who walked for the second year in a row, considers it a spiritual experience.

“I do it because it’s basically a devotion to God. It’s Good Friday, so it’s something we sacrifice for Christ the same way he would sacrifice for us,” he said.

The goal of the walk is two-fold Sister Kathy Riordan, Catholic chaplain and organizer of the walk for the past 10 years, said. The first is to commemorate Good Friday, which is the death of Jesus Christ and is done by reenacting the Stations of the Cross as well as raising money for INN.

Pastor Alan Betts, the protestant chaplain affiliated with the walk for the past six years, said it has become quite a tradition. The Hunger Walk is one of the really special fund raisers that benefit the INN, Jean Kelly, executive director of the INN, said. Everyone who walks gets people to sponsor them for $1 a mile. The event can raise anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000, Kelly said.

The INN, which has gone from a small house residing at the University, to a huge organization with its own headquarters in Hempstead, currently has 19 soup kitchens feeding over 5,500 people a week in Nassau and Suffolk County.

The University was the original founder of the INN 22 years ago. Kelly, who has been at the INN for 11 years, said she is always proud and grateful for the ongoing relationship.

“With so much food being thrown out in Long Island we’re here to try and right that wrong,” Kelly said.

Laurie Kelligan, of Bellemore, participating with her son Dillon, has been involved with the walk for about five years. Kelligan has been part of a few volunteer efforts for the INN and has now gotten her son into the mix. Dillon who considers the walk nothing short of a fun experience, believes each year it gets easier.

“With Easter falling early this year it’s colder out than it usually is for the walk, but we battled a storm one year,” said Kelligan laughing. “There’s been very bad weather, but it’s for a good cause so it’s very easy for us to do to help somebody else.”

Impressed by the large turnout among young people, Riordan stresses it has been their goal in recent years, getting the younger people involved. A generation that often seems too preoccupied to commit to a cause, Kelly hopes it leads to a further commitment on their behalf.

“Seeing them here it’s very, very exciting because it’s educating them about the issue and showing them if they can start doing this even on their day off that they can become more involved in the future,” she said. “The more people that spread the word, whether their young, old or in between will help us correct this injustice. It’s all an interfaith effort and we are really very grateful that the whole community comes together and deals with this issue.”