The 2012 Bluffton CROP Walk is set to take place on Sunday, Oct. 7, at 1:30 p.m. The theme for this year's event is, The Way of the Cross:  Walking for Hunger, according to Rev. Kevin Mohr, president of the Bluffton Area Ministerial Association.

Each of the congregations associated with the Bluffton Area Ministerial Association and the Inter-Church Board is asked to hold canned-good food drive for the Bluffton Community Assistance Program food pantry from now until Oct. 7. The Bluffton community is invited participate in the food drive by bringing contributions to the nearest church.

On that day the CROP Walk will follow the route of the annual Good Friday procession of the Cross through town, beginning at St. Mary's Catholic Church, then to First United Methodist, First Mennonite, Bluffton Presbyterian, English Luthera, and concluding at St. John's United Church of Christ. 

Each church will "represent" one of the six inhabited continents on earth:

• St. Mary's Catholic - South America 
• 1st United Methdoist - Africa 
• 1st Mennonite - Europe 
• Bluffton Presbyterian - Asia 
• English Lutheran - Australia
• St John's UC - North America  

Participants may wear or carry items that suggest the continent their church represents for the procession. At each church, beginning at St. Mary's, a prayer will be offered, a scripture verse related to hunger issues will be read, and significant statistics about hunger in the represented continent will be shared. 

The canned goods and other food items collected at each church will then be carried (by hand or in carts or children's wagons, for example) in procession on to St. John's UCC and given to the Food Pantry. 

Monetary contributions to fight world hunger may be made to the denominational world hunger programs of each congregation. 

Following the procession light refreshments will be served at St. John's UCC.