RUNNING FEETS
Attention-grabbing Challenges Strides to End Hunger At the end of last year, Nashua native Matty Gregg ran 230 miles in eight days, raising funds for New Hampshire Hunger Solutions. Gregg dedicated the run to the late state representative Art Ellison, to spark conversation and awareness for food insecurity. After lawmakers rejected a bill expanding free and reduced-price lunch eligibility, Gregg felt compelled to take action. His wife, Alicia, supported him along the route, driving ahead to provide water, gear and food at every stop while he ran the length of the Granite State, from Nashua to Pittsburg. Along the trek, Matty met with community leaders, schools and organizations to discuss local efforts to fight food insecurity. He started in Nashua with a send-off from the fire department and local students. In Manchester, he stopped to meet with Mayor Jay Ruais and health officials to discuss upcoming policy opportunities. Concord’s Mayor Byron Champlin recognized Gregg’s efforts at the State House with a proclamation of support for his mission. In Canterbury, he visited Brookfield Farms to celebrate the Farm to School Bill, joined a Lakes Region policy discussion, and surprised the winners of the School Breakfast Challenge at Kennett High School. In Berlin, he learned about Meals IncludED, a program providing free meals for White Mountain Community College students. Facing snow, wind and steep climbs in Dixville Notch, he pushed through to the finish in Pittsburg.
C O U RT E S Y P H O T O
BY JU L I A ROB I TAILLE
This wasn’t Gregg’s first endurance feat for a cause— in 2018, he ran across the country, raising over $150,000 for the Firefighter Cancer Support Network. The
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2024 Hunger Run helped raise $20,000 in support of food insecurity while raising awareness on nutrition access and inspiring countless others.