Seneca Valley student Ashley Felitsky is continuing a local tradition of student community involvement and charity by running the fourth annual “A Walk for Hunger” event with Armstrong to benefit local food banks as part of her senior project.

Previous iterations of the project have also involved student leaders taking charge for their senior projects: Julie Kopp, Taylor Kopp and Reaghan Wilkerson, all Seneca Valley students who led the walk, respectively, over the past three years.

This year's walk takes place at 10 a.m. Sept. 12 at the Dan Baker Shelter at North Boundary Park in Cranberry Township. The walk works with Armstrong's Breaking Bread program to gather funds and donations and raise awareness for Hunger Action Month. Proceeds will go toward the Lighthouse Foundation, Southwest Butler Food Cupboard, Gleaner's Food Bank, Victory Family Church and Holy Redeemer Social Services in Ellwood City.

“We've always tried to have a senior involved in the actual walk,” said Joshua Plunkard, Felitsky's project mentor. “Over the past few years, we've raised close to $20,000 for local Butler County food banks, and Ashley has done a really good job this year. She's gone above and beyond.”

To gather sponsors and donations for the walk, Felitsky visited businesses, family friends and community members with flyers.“I got involved with it because I think it's a very good cause,” Felitsky said. “Josh told me about the project, and I thought it had seemed like a really good idea.”Plunkard had coached Felitsky's brother in baseball in past years, and alerted her to the possibility of working on the walk project last spring.“I've known Ashley for years,” he said. “She's always been around, and she's a good kid. She got back to me right away and said she would love to do it. She jumped at the opportunity of having a project.”He said that Armstrong's goal is to continue involving seniors in organizing the event in the future.“It's been a good senior project, and we've kind of let them take the reins,” he said.The event will feature raffle baskets and a Yeti cooler that will be raffled off. Registration will start at 9 a.m. and opening ceremonies will start at 10 a.m. Participants are only required to walk one lap, according to a flyer, but are welcome to continue on to do three laps to constitute a 5K.

Participants can sign up in advance or on the day of the event for $20. The project has already raised about $4,000 through sponsors and advance sign-ups, and Plunkard hopes to reach a combined $20,000 for the walk this year, building on the past three walks' total combined proceeds of $14,000.Sponsors include The Conville Agency, Fun Fore All, Cranberry Township, Deep Well Services, Premier Eyecare of Cranberry, Inc., Rhoads Orthodontics, Passavant Hospital Foundation, Pangonis Chiropractic and Matthew Jewelers.On the day of the walk, Felitsky, her brother and friends will sell raffle tickets and facilitate activities. In the weeks after the event, Felitsky said that she plans to volunteer with some of the food banks that the proceeds will benefit.“Food banks need help,” she said. “If I can help them, I should.”