By Gabrielle Terrett

The Vicksburg Post

Tis the season for runs across the Mississippi River Bridge.

Couples for Christ-MS is one of the first to host an event across the bridge during this fall season with their Answering the Cry of the Poor walk Saturday, which started shortly after 8 a.m.

“This walk is called the ANCOP walk, which stands for Answering the Cry of the Poor,” Zeny Meer, coordinator for the Couples for Christ-MS, said. “It is an awareness program for the Couples for Christ-MS for children in the Philippines who cannot afford to go to school. The walk is also to encourage people to come out to meet and register to sponsor these children in school.”

The organization has more than 40 chapters across the U.S., and each holds an ANCOP walk each year.

The Couples for Christ-MS has a goal of raising funds through their organization for students in the Philippines.

“Sponsoring a kid from elementary to high school costs $384 per year and for college students it’s $786 per year,” Meer said. “For the donations part, we are trying to come up with enough money to sponsor a child or if a person wants to sponsor a child we also have those kind of people here.”

More than 20 members, along with two babies and a dog, trekked across the bridge during the organizations annual walk.

“For Mississippi, this is our fourth year of doing this walk and our third of doing it on the bridge,” Meer said. “So far we have sponsored four kids in high school. Our goal for this year is to at least maintain the sponsorship which is $384 times four per child.”