SOUTHWORDS
May 1970
Sore, aching feet triumphant!
Sixty thousand walkers participated in the five Illinois Hunger Hikes on May 3, and they earned more than a million and a half dollars. The 800 Maine South marchers were involved in the largest hike of the day, the Skokie Hike for the Hungry, which had 30,000 marchers.
At 8 AM after being entertained by a rock group, the people left Niles North, fresh, determined and prepared for a long walk. They were laughing, then, and singing, riding tricycles, other peoples' backs, leading little red wagons and Indian-type litters. A confederate flag whipped loudly in the wind over the unending sea of heads.
Each marcher had a walk card to be produced at each of the 16 checkpoints. A walkcard consisted of a list of the walker's sponsors, who had pledged an average of 25 cents per mile, a map of the 30 mile route, and 16 squares, each representing a checkpoint. When the walker attained a checkpoint, he produced his walkcard, sweaty and creased, and it was dutifully stamped with the silhouette of a bare foot. The average worth of each walker was $1.75 per mile.
42.5 percent of the money collected will go overseas to aid in the reconstruction of Columbia. An equal amount will be divided between the American Indian Center, Northwest Suburban Day Care Center, and Marilac House of Chicago. The remaining money has been dedicated to the construction of a day-care center in Des Plaines and other concerns of the immediate vicinity.
Medication, food and drink were offered by volunteers at the checkpoints and along the route by residents of the area.
Drop outs were scarce. Only one-tenth of the marchers did not finish the Skokie march. Most dropouts occurred at the thirteenth checkpoint, situated overlooking Lake Michigan.
At 3 PM the line of walkers covered eight miles. One trackman from Maine West had gone the whole way in three hours, and a 48-year-old jogger covered it in four. The last stragglers arrived back at Niles North at 10:30 PM.
Upon the walker's return, if he was among the first 500, a card was presented to him which read: "Having walked 30 miles, ________ is a member of the PWA Professional Walker Association." The ridiculous little card seemed inadequate and absurd to many of the tired marchers. Perhaps a brass band, a Gargantuan banner--but to the triumphant walkers, a patch of grass, a drink of water, and the omnipotent walk card clutched still secure would have to do until their legs came to life again and their feet quit aching.