MARY’S Meals is inviting people across Tyrone to lace up their walking shoes and join its annual ‘Step By Step To Feed The Next Child’ fundraising walk this summer.
The series of sponsored walks, which runs from the end of July until August 15, will see participants cover more than 200 kilometres across the island of Ireland before finishing at Knock Shrine in Co Mayo.
The first Tyrone leg takes place on Tuesday, July 28, beginning at the Cornmill in Coalisland at 7pm and finishing in Dungannon Square at around 8.30pm.
A second walk from Dungannon to Moy follows on Friday (July 31) evening, while the final local leg will take place on Saturday (August 1), from Moy to the Mary’s Meals Centre in Benburb, starting at noon.
Organisers are encouraging people of all ages and abilities to take part, with walkers welcome to join for the full route or simply a mile or two in their local area.
The first two Tyrone walks are being organised by the recently-established Dungannon and District branch of Mary’s Meals, which was formed last October by local volunteers Noel McCrystal, Damien Moore, Una McAlinden and John McKenna.
Despite being in existence for less than a year, the group has already raised around £20,000 to support the charity’s work.
Mary’s Meals provides a daily nutritious meal to more than three million children attending school in 16 of the world’s poorest countries.
The charity believes that offering food in a place of education not only tackles hunger but also encourages children to attend school and build a better future.
Thanks to its volunteer-led approach, the charity says it costs just 10p to feed a child for a day, or £19.15 to provide school meals for an entire academic year.
Encouraging people to support this year’s walk, Noel McCrystal said the charity’s mission was both simple and powerful.
“Come and join the walk,” he said.
“This charity goes back to basic, rudimentary values – let’s feed a child.
“It’s about trying to build a future for these children.
“Ninety-three per-cent of every pound donated goes directly to the source, so people can be confident their support is making a real difference.”
For more information on the ‘Step by Step’ event, visit the website at www.marysmeals.org.uk