Donate food and complete the Fall Hiking Spree in your Metro Parks
Summit Metro Parks is encouraging visitors to give back as they complete the Fall Hiking Spree this month. Park rangers, in partnership with the Ohio Patrolman’s Benevolent Association, will host “Stuff the Cruiser” events at select Fall Hiking Spree trails.
Visitors can drop off nonperishable food and personal care items directly into a Summit Metro Parks ranger vehicle. All donations will go to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, supporting community members facing food insecurity. All Stuff the Cruiser events run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.:
- November 15 at F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm (1828 Smith Rd., Akron)
- November 22 at Liberty Park Nature Center (9999 Liberty Rd., Twinsburg)
- November 29 at the Tuscarawas Meadows Area of Firestone Metro Park (2620 Harrington Rd., Akron)
Most needed food items include boxed cereal, canned soup or stew, canned tuna, canned vegetables, macaroni & cheese, peanut butter and canned fruit. Most needed care items include deodorant, shampoo, bath soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hair care products, paper products (paper towels, facial tissue, bathroom tissue), and cleaning supplies (laundry supplies, household cleaners). Park rangers cannot accept monetary donations. Anyone wishing to make a monetary donation can do so through the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank’s website at akroncantonfoodbank.org.
Now in its 62nd year, the Fall Hiking Spree is a beloved Summit Metro Parks tradition that encourages visitors to complete at least eight designated hikes between September 1 and November 30. In the early years of the Fall Hiking Spree, park rangers were stationed along trails to sign participants’ forms. Although signatures are no longer required, this year’s Stuff the Cruiser initiative honors that tradition by once again bringing rangers and visitors together — this time, to support the community through food donations.