By Kevin Kim
Every year without fail, Lambda Phi Epsilon at the University of Washington volunteers for the Asian Counseling and Referral Service‘s signature community event: Walk For Rice. A summer staple tradition for Seattle’s Asian Pacific American families, Walk For Rice brings in over a thousand attendees to Seward Park. Proceeds raised from the event go directly to replenishing the stock of meals within the ACRS Food Bank, an International District resource that over 5,000 families rely on per year for nutritional support.
In past years, active members of Lambda Phi Epsilon managed traffic control, cheered on racers at interval checkpoints, and even performed step routines to entertain the audience. This year, active members of Lambda Phi Epsilon cleaned up after the race to ensure a timely conclusion to the annual event’s celebration. “I’ve been volunteering at Walk For Rice since my freshman year of college. It’s one of my favorite events of the year,” explains UW senior Josh Chen (Lambda Phi Epsilon’s New Member Educator).
I had a great time volunteering with my @uwlambdas brothers at @ACRSNews Walk For Rice this year! pic.twitter.com/MSxUoSzCTZ
— Andrew Yeh (@renkaiyeh) June 30, 2014
Andrew Yeh is also a veteran volunteer. “The running, the wilderness, the entertainment—the energy here gets me pumped. It’s like I’m in the Hunger Games, but everyone wins because our community gets more food,” he says.
Good job to my grand big who finished #WalkForRice in 16 minutes and 56 seconds. @uwlambdas #LPhiE pic.twitter.com/wLjhkX5iPj — Dexter Liu (@dexterliu144) June 30, 2014
Several of our alumni ran in the actual race portion of Walk For Rice. Wilson Lu, Director of Lambda Phi Epsilon’s Seattle Alumni Association, finished the 2.5 mile course in under 17 minutes.
I #WalkForRice with @uwlambdas because helping people is the right thing to do. Give food. Give hope. Give LiFE. pic.twitter.com/D9OyODXgZD
— Daniel Nguyen (@Dan_0612) June 30, 2014
Internal Vice President Daniel Nguyen describes his first Walk For Rice as one that he’ll always remember. “I believe in this cause because I know of many families that can’t afford basic food supplies. We should always strive towards building a better community.” This year, the event raised over $180,000.
To see more media from #WalkForRice, visit Seattle University Journalism Professor Owen Lei’s Storify!