Teeing off to stop hunger

SNOW HILL — A team teeing off in the Stop Hunger Now Golf Tournament at Cutter Creek Golf Club on Thursday will put food in the mouths of 1,000 people.

The tournament, sponsored by the Hookerton United Methodist Church, is set to benefit the Raleigh-based international hunger relief agency Stop Hunger Now.

Since its inception in 1998, SHN has packaged and distributed more than 14 million meals in nearly 71 countries. Each meal, which consists of rice, vegetable protein, dehydrated vegetables and a vitamin/mineral supplement, costs a mere 25 cents and provides 21 vitamins and minerals.

“It’s an economical way to reach a lot of people,” Rick Kearney, program coordinator for SHN, said. “Whether (the tournament) raises $1,000 or $5,000, a tremendous number of people are going to benefit.”

Hookerton UMC pastor Claude Nethercutt said the church decided to support SHN in part because of the organization’s nondenominational roots.

“It has nothing to do with your religion,” he said. “We can all join together in this effort to feed the children of the world.”

Nethercutt said this isn’t the first time the church has been involved with SHN; members have participated in packaging events in Greene County for several years, but he admits the golf tournament is its first large-scale effort.

“Right now, most of these outreach ministries are short of funds since the economy is suffering,” he said. “We wanted to make a larger effort to reach out and reach out to a broader community in Greene County.”

The four-man superball tournament will begin at 1 p.m. Thursday, but registration for the event is due Monday. The registration fee, which includes green free, cart free and dinner, is $250 per team or $65 per individual.

Kearney said volunteer efforts and donations are helping SHN fulfill its mission to provide food and life-saving aid to the world’s destitute and hungry in the most efficient, effective and sustainable manner. He said 40 people can package about 10,000 meals in about an hour.

“People can spend a short about of time and make a huge impact,” he said.

SHN’s Snow Hill meal packaging office ships out about 100,000 meals each month. Kearney, who runs the day-to-day operations at the office, said a shipment goes out every 60 to 90 days. The organization exists because of donations to it.

Nicaragua received the latest shipment from the Snow Hill office about two weeks ago. Kearney said the next shipment of 112,000 meals will be sent to Afghanistan to be handed out at a refugee camp in Kabul.

“What we want everyone to know is that hunger is solvable,” Rod Brooks, Stop Hunger Now chief executive, said. “Hunger is the common thread among the world’s most challenging issues.”

Sarah Campbell can be reached at 252-559-1076 or scampbell@freedomenc.com.

Tournament details

Stop Hunger Now Golf Tournament

Sponsored by Hookerton United Methodist Church

Thursday at 1 p.m.

Registration form due by Monday

Fees:

$250 per team

$65 per individual

For an entry form, call Cutter Creek Golf Club at 252-747-4653

All proceeds will benefit Stop Hunger Now

Did you know?

25,000 people die every day from hunger and related causes.

More than 907 million people in developing countries alone are hungry.

Every 6 seconds a child dies because he or she is hungry.

Hunger is on the rise: The number of hungry people in the developing world reached 17 percent in 2007, compared to 16 percent in 2003-2005.

Source: World Food Programme, 2009