To the Editor:

GardenShare's first "Fight Hunger 5K" was held Oct. 10and was a very successful first-time event. This fun run and walkathon began and ended at the Potsdam Farmers Market.

About 50 people took part by either walking or running and by the time we finished up that day, $6,724 had been raised to support GardenShare!

Special thank you to the event sponsors: Canton-Potsdam Hospital, Stauffer Farms, Conboy, McKay, Bachman, & Kendall, The Clarkson Inn, Hyde-Stone Mechanical Contractors, ProAct, St. Lawrence Federal Credit Union, and Save-A-Lot.

Thank you to everyone who walked or ran in the event and to all who donated to support them. And thank you to the many volunteers who helped out on event day, including Clarkson students from the baseball and softball teams, the Order of Omega, and the Society of Women Engineers. Also, thank you to the hard-working volunteers who have been planning this event for the last several months, and to the Potsdam Farmers Market and the Potsdam Police Department for all of your support.

Funds raised will support GardenShare's work to solve the problem of hunger in St. Lawrence County. GardenShare's annual Local Food Guide, farmers market promotion, and promotion of Community Supported Agriculture help ensure that the county has a vibrant, local food system where our food choices are healthy for us, for our communities, and for the environment and where local farmers are able to make a living that supports their families.

GardenShare also makes it possible for people to use food stamps at area Farmers Markets and helps low-income families buy CSA shares so that everyone in the county has access to enough nutritious and affordable food to sustain a healthy lifestyle.

It's great to be part of such a generous and caring community!

Gloria J. McAdam

Executive Director