Chickathon scratches up $9,000 for charity

SPARTA - The St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Chickathon, a 5K walk through Sparta sponsored by St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, attracted 41 human walkers, four canine walkers and earned t$9,000 with more donations promised. The Chickathon, was planned to benefit Heifer International, a non-profit global organization devoted to the concept that if you give a man a fish he will eat for a day but if you teach him to fish, he will eat for a lifetime. Heifer International has trained more than four million people in animal care and environmentally sound agricultural practices, with the goal of lifting them out of poverty into self-reliance. When Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, Committee Chairman Al Vonderahe, a.k.a. the “Coop Crusader,” spoke to the CEO of Heifer, who agreed to donate money collected at the walk to the Katrina Relief Fund. Others who doubled as fowl for the event were Tim Moran as the Phantom Bantam, Larry Ostuni as Rhode Island Fred and Carol Lynch as Biker Chick. In addition to the Chickathon monies, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Outreach Committee approved $2,000 for Gulf Coast relief to be sent to Episcopal Relief and Development, a worldwide relief agency which provides money and resources in times of emergency or disaster. For more information, call the church at 973-729-3136. St. Mary’s is located at 85 Conestoga Trail in Sparta, off Route 181 Woodport Road.