Walk for Rice: Fundraiser supports Seattle's food bank catering to Asian Pacific Islanders

As the number of needy climbs, here's one way to help out, simply by walking.

"Walk For Rice," taking place Saturday morning at Seward Park, is a fundraiser that supports the Asian Counseling and Referral Service food bank, which feeds more than 7,500 households. The food bank gives out Asian and Pacific Islander dietary staples, such as rice, tofu and soy milk.

"Rice is the No. 1 need," said 88-year-old Bernardino Degracia, a Filipino immigrant who regularly goes to the food bank for help.

As walk co-founder Herb Tsuchiya explained, "A lot of Asians are lactose intolerant, and the elderly are used to eating whatever they're used to eating back at home. But a lot of food banks get donations of surplus cheese products and bread. They're just not used to eating that, so they don't eat it, give it away or throw it away."

Tsuchiya and his friend Sam Mitsui started the fundraiser 19 years go, with 45 walkers at Beacon Hill. As members of two local churches, Tsuchiya and Mitsui wanted to help fight hunger in the community, so Tsuchiya connected with the Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS), a nonprofit organization offering services and health programs to Asian Pacific Americans in King County.

"I said why don't we have a walk-a-thon? It doesn't take any special skills. It'll be easy to do," said Tsuchiya, 76.

Their first walk raised $2,500.

Since then, the walk has moved to a 2.5-mile stretch in Seward Park. Organizers still serve homemade goodies for runners after the race, but the numbers have grown. Last year, 1,200 participated, raising $115,000. This year, they expect to raise $150,000. At the current price of $30 per 50-pound bag, that much money would buy 250,000 pounds of rice.

New this year is the food bank's Web site, which enables each walk participant to create a personal donation page. The Web site lets people easily expand their donation requests to their personal networks and get more donations from individuals, which helps when corporate donations are down, said ACRS development coordinator Megan Farwell.

The need is great. Since January of this year, the food bank received nearly 3,800 new clients, mostly senior citizens and children. Clients start lining up at 4 a.m., to be first when the food bank opens at 11:30 a.m. Each gets 2 ½ pounds of rice plus other food available in the bank, such as fresh vegetables and cereal.

"When I was sick and laid off, I came here for help," said Beatrice Lu Smith, 63, who had a heart attack three years ago. These days she is a volunteer translator. "Sometimes they just need a smile, a hello and to be treated with dignity and respect."

Unlike other food banks, ACRS does not require clients to live in the same ZIP code as the bank, and it has become the second most used food bank in King County, after St. Mary's (which operates out of Seattle's Central District).

"I'm very fortunate to have a job, to have so many privileges," said Vinod Nazareth, vice president of marketing for GE Commercial Finance. Nazareth has been one of the group's top fundraisers for the walk.

"There's a lot of people who don't have what I have, so this is a way for me to give back to a community which has given me so much."

Marian Liu: 206-464-3825 or mliu@seattletimes.com