USA (MNN) ― World Hope International is blessed by the annual efforts of Larry McAlpine who was inspired to share the love of Christ by his pastor and by his own nearly-fatal heart attack in 1999.
McAlpine's doctor recommended walking for exercise. Soon, he was walking over 2,000 miles every year. He decided to pair his healthy walks with mile sponsors to raise funds for a purpose.
Scott Drury with World Hope says, "Larry walks about 50 miles each year on his birthday. He felt like 'I would really like to do something to help missions.'" With the support of his wife, Pam, and his congregation at Christ Wesleyan Church in Winston Salem, NC, McAlpine raises pledges for the day-long walk.
Beginning at 3:00AM each year and making at least 155 laps around the track near his church, Larry finishes 18 hours and 50 miles later as part of his annual Hoover Walk.
In 2003, $18,000 was raised for missions in Russia. In 2004, Larry found World Hope's projects appealing. "Larry added the Bosnia Learning Center to his walk," says Drury. "He again raised about $19,000, and he divided that between the two projects." McAlpine's 2005 walk brought in $22,000 for World Hope's Ruimveldt Children's Home in Georgetown, Guyana, and in 2006 he raised $22,000 for Katrina relief.
Larry calls his campaign the "Hoover Walk" in honor of his friend, Pastor Hoover Smith. McAlpine's earliest fundraising walks assisted Smith's work in Russia. Just two weeks after the completion of this year's walk, Hoover Smith went home to be with the Lord.
The money raised this year could change lives in a difficult area--Haiti. "The Hoover Walk raised $25,000 last year," says Drury. "Right now, we're at about $16,000. Some of the money is still coming in for this year's walk for schools in Haiti."
World Hope's mission is to see both individuals and communities transformed through the redemptive power of Jesus Christ. The teams work in and through the local faith community to bring spiritual, social, economic, and physical change.
