After days of unceasing rain, the clouds parted Sunday and let the sun shine down on Lancaster County.

Several hundred people in Lancaster city and 15 surrounding communities took advantage of the welcome blue skies to walk.

"Thank God," the Rev. Alexander Veronis said Sunday afternoon. "The Lord has answered our prayers."

Veronis, pastor of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church at 64 Hershey Ave., has organized the CROP Walk fundraiser for Lancaster County Council of Churches for the past 37 years.

During that time, he said, local walkers have raised $4,100,000 for the cause.

"I think all of the churches were praying this morning," Veronis said. "Then we got out here at noon and the skies opened up. Look at that, blue skies after three days of rain."

He said about 300 people took part in the city walk, down from about 500 in 2008, he said, but still a good number considering the recent spate of bad weather.

"The turnout was pretty good," Veronis said.

"We weren't sure what to expect," he said. "But these are people who are committed to the church. If they signed up, they usually come out no matter what."

Everyone completing the walk in Lancaster was offered a small bowl of rice and beans, a simple meal typical in the Third World that might sustain an adult after a hard day's labor.

"Our goal is to decrease hunger and increase people's consciousness about hunger," Veronis said.

CROP takes in $18 million a year from 2,000 walks throughout the nation. Because of that, Veronis said, 80 million people in 19 developing countries are fed.

A quarter of local proceeds remain local, funding the Council of Churches food bank and helping to feed 20,000 Lancaster residents, he said — many of them middle-class people who have been hit hard by the economic downturn.

The walk began at 1:30 p.m. at Clipper Stadium at 650 N. Prince St. Walkers, who had a choice of 4k and 10k routes, began straggling back to the stadium around 2:30 p.m..

"It's a very good cause," said Todd Grager, who walked the course with wife Natalie on behalf of Willow Street United Church of Christ.

"I've done this numerous times," he said. "I used to run it when I was in high school."

Sue Meister, from Willow Valley Retirement Communities, said she was excited to participate because "this was my first one."

"I believe there are too many people without food and shelter," she said. "There are people right here in our own backyard who need food."

Elderly participants had the option of taking a stroll around a loop inside the stadium, Veronis said. One person who took advantage of that option was Jane Faust, also from Willow Valley and a member of the Crop Walk committee.

She has been taking CROP walks in various locations since 1972, Faust said.

"I love it," she said. "I believe in it."

Still, she regretted not being able to take a longer walk through the community. A bad knee was keeping her in the stadium, she said.

"I don't think I'll finish more than four or five laps," she said.

tknapp@lnpnews.com