BACKERS URGE MORE TO ATTEND CROP WALK.

Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer

WOODLAND HILLS - Organizers of the 30th annual Valley CROP Walk hope thousands will turn out to march against hunger Sunday at Warner Park ahead of the first Concert to Prevent Hunger.

The event, co-hosted by the Valley Interfaith Council and the Valley Cultural Center, includes a nonperishable food drive to help curb hunger in the San Fernando Valley. The concert will feature the Marvelettes, food booths and family games.

``It's really important,'' said KNBC (Channel 4) weatherman Fritz Coleman of Studio City. Coleman, a spokesman for the council's Preventing Hunger Campaign, said, ``We need the entire San Fernando Valley community - not just the West Valley - to get engaged in this growing hunger issue by supporting events like this.''

One-fourth of the funds raised through the CROP (Communities Reaching Out to People) walk will benefit Valley hunger assistance programs; the remainder will go to prevent hunger and provide disaster relief worldwide.

Proceeds from concert game booths will also go to alleviating Valley hunger.

A recent UCLA study showed that 166,000 adults in the Valley were hungry or at risk of hunger. The Valley Interfaith Council, which operates 21 Valley food pantries, launched a Valley Hunger Coalition this year to work toward wiping out hunger by 2020.

Dana Bartholomew, [phone]

dana.bartholomew(at)dailynews.com

IF YOU GO

--The 30th annual CROP Walk will begin at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at Warner Park at Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Califa Street. The Concert to Prevent Hunger will begin at 6 p.m. Participants are invited to bring nonperishable foods to donate. To register, contact www.vic-la.org, or call [phone] (JOIN-VIC).

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