BY DAVID BEEMER

Shall we go for a walk?

A walk, for most of us, means a stroll through the neighborhood, maybe a few laps around Battle Point Park or a hike through the woods of the Grand Forest. Besides the reality that most of us could really use the exercise, deciding to go for a walk is a choice rather than a necessity.

Unfortunately, in our world of online acrobatics and video overload, the choice to go for a walk is generally buried in myriad more immediately visually attractive digital choices from Netflix to video games.

I’m as guilty as the next guy. A good movie or a chance to check up on my distant children’s lives through Facebook often trumps an evening ramble through the quiet of the forest. And maybe I’m actually more guilty than the younger wired generation who have never known a world without Microsoft, Apple or the Internet.

However, every fall, I get a little chance at redemption with the BI/NK Crop Hunger Walk. While when my children were younger, they may have never understood the worth of a casual a stroll down the street without any reward of power ups, extra lives, weapon upgrades, they do “get” the Crop Hunger Walk.

CROP Hunger Walks support Church World Service — an international assistance organization that works in some 80 countries to provide emergency food aid and long-term development assistance, support infant health and nutrition services, develop sustainable, safe sources of drinking water and promote water as a basic human right to policymakers.

Along with the national and international assistance with CWS, the BI/NK walk raises funds for right here at home. Twenty-five percent of the money earned through pledges stays in our community – 20 percent to Helpline House and 5 percent to Fishline of Poulsbo.

One of the special aspects of the Bainbridge event is the anonymous donor who offers to match — dollar for dollar — every pledge earned for the local event. And this donor has been providing this pledge-doubling magic for about 10 years. Talk about a power-up! Even the Xbox crowd can comprehend that kind of reward!

All ages are invited to walk, or you can support the walkers as a sponsor or offer prayers for the success of the event — it all helps. In addition to the walk, CROP Walk funds are raised through Restaurant Day.

On Sept. 25, several Bainbridge Island restaurants are offering a portion of their receipts for CROP Walk. Look for CROP Hunger Walk signs on the doors of your favorite eating or beverage establishment for one of the supporters.

This year, we are dedicating the local walk to Nancy Quitslund. Nancy — the tireless leader of the walk organizing committee — is taking a year away from the active organizing of the event, but you know she’ll be there on Sunday!

If you can’t make it out on Sept. 28, find a walker and offer a pledge, and eat out on Sept. 25.

Or, you can go to www.cropwalkonline.org, navigate to the Bainbridge walk, and donate online.

For more information on the Bainbridge Island/North Kitsap CROP Hunger Walk, contact Chris Christensen at 842-5830 or Rachel Kerbrat at 842-8729.

David Beemer, a Bainbridge Island resident, is a member of the BI/NK CROP Hunger Walk coordinating committee.