ACRS’ 29th annual Walk for Rice raises over $210,000 to help feed families in need
On behalf of all of us at Asian Counseling and Referral Service, thank you for joining the 29th annual Walk for Rice to support the ACRS Food Bank and nutrition programs. Your efforts to run, walk, volunteer, perform, donate, raise funds and engage others made a tremendous impact in our fight against hunger.
Together as a community, we raised $210,737 to help feed the most vulnerable Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) individuals and families all around King County. We are grateful for your support and are honored to include you in the ACRS family.
More than a 1,000 people gathered at Seward Park on June 22, 2019, to take part in the annual community tradition that draws local businesses, schools and generations of community groups and families to raise awareness and funds to end hunger in the Puget Sound region. The ACRS Food Bank is one of the most visited food banks in King County and the only one that regularly provides foods specific to the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) diet. More than 5,300 people a year rely on ACRS’ food bank and nutrition programs to have enough to eat; many are children under 18 years old or seniors over 65. Our food bank, located in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District, provides a central location for people to access culturally familiar foods like rice, tofu, noodles, fish and fresh produce. We distribute nearly one million pounds of food each year through our local site and are reaching more people in more places through a growing network of 26 remote sites.
ACRS Executive Director Michael Byun welcomed the crowd with opening words and shared how nearly 30 years ago, Sam Mitsui and Herb and Bertha Tsuchiya recognized the need in the community and came together to form Walk for Rice. Mr. Mitsui passed away on March 24, 2019, but his legacy as a champion to feed the most vulnerable people in the community lives on.
“Their leadership inspired generations of family and friends and the community to come forward to support this very important cause,” said Mr. Byun. On behalf of ACRS, Mr. Byun presented an award honoring Sam Mitsui and his years of commitment and contributions to Mr. Mitsui’s widow, Tamaki, and his family. In closing words, King County Executive Dow Constantine also praised Mr. Mitsui as an exemplary leader in the community and declared June 22 “Sam Mitsui and Walk for Rice Day” in King County.
This year’s Walk featured multiple AAPI cultural performances, including a Nepali blessing dance, Lao traditional music and dance, Japanese taiko drumming by Seattle Kokon Taiko, and the Seattle Chinese Girls Drill Team, before the traditional 2.5-mile walk/run around scenic Seward Park along the shores of Lake Washington.
This year, a coalition of API business professionals with representatives from some of the region’s largest employers including Pacific Market International, Kaiser Permanente, Amazon, AT&T, Overlake Medical Center and Clinics, Swedish and others joined forces to raise funds and awareness of hunger.
