Vienna's annual CROP Hunger Walk returns Sunday, Sept. 27, at Emmaus United Church of Christ, 900 Maple Ave. E.

Registration is free. The 2.4-mile route takes about an hour, and a shorter option is available. Organizers encourage walkers to collect donations or find sponsors before the event.

The walk has raised more than $448,258 for hunger relief since Vienna first held it in at least 1995, according to Patch. Seventy-five percent of the money goes to Church World Service (CWS), a faith-based organization that fights hunger worldwide and provides disaster relief and refugee services. The remaining 25% stays in Vienna, funding the Committee for Helping Others (CHO).

CHO, an all-volunteer nonprofit, provides emergency food, financial assistance and other services to residents of Vienna, Oakton, Dunn Loring and Merrifield. Its Food Closet operates out of Vienna Presbyterian Church at 124 Park St. NE.

Lisa Hechtman has previously chaired the Vienna CROP Walk, with Marsha Komandt of Emmaus United Church of Christ and Belinda Addae of Church World Service helping organize past events, according to CHO's website. A previous walk drew about 120 participants and raised $18,000, CHO reported.

Nationally, CWS reported more than 1,600 teams registered and more than $1.2 million raised across all CROP Hunger Walk events as of Monday, Sept. 14.

Teams from across the community have joined in past years, including Emmaus UCC, Vienna Baptist Church, the Church of the Holy Comforter, the Baha'i Faith of Vienna, Hope United Methodist Church, Westwood Country Club and Team CHO. Local churches and other organizations form teams and staff water stations along the route.

The Sept. 27 schedule begins with registration at 12:30 p.m., an opening kickoff with speakers at 12:45 p.m. and the walk itself at 12:55 p.m. Residents can sign up at the CROP Hunger Walk registration page.