Walk the World 2004

• Over 40.000 participants.
• 205 walks in 73 countries on 6 continents and in 24 time zones, covering 200,000 km, taking them 5 times around the globe.
• The event raised € 750,000.
• 25,000 school children fed and educated for a year.

On 20 June, TNT employees, family and friends, supported by WFP employees, in some 200 locations in more than 70 countries joined together in the unique Walk the World event to raise awareness of hunger and funds for WFP. Participants walked a distance equal to ten times around the world! By walking in one single global event, TNT raised €750,000, which is enough to feed 25,000 children in WFP's School Feeding Programmes for a whole school year.

A total of 40,000 participants; TNT employees, family and friends, WFP staff, and celebrities, walked across every continent in varying weather conditions for the WFP cause. Former Australian rugby captain and a WFP-Ambassador, Nick Farr-Jones and ex-Wallabies Jeff Miller and Phil Kearns kicked off the walk in Sydney by walking 5 km, and the marathon world record holder Paul Tergat joined the group in the Netherlands. Walks began at 10 AM local time, with the event starting in Auckland, New Zealand, where the world's day begins and ends. As the world turned, TNT and WFP employees walked in 24 time zones in 24 hours.

Most of the €750,000 raised went to WFP's under-funded school feeding programme in Sudan where the agency aims to feed more than 300,000 school children. The money was also used in China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Uganda, South Africa, where WFP had existing projects, and for victims of the Beslan tragedy in Russia. The success of the event made WFP and TNT decide to organize Walk the World again in 2005.

When I was growing up, WFP school feeding gave me life, hope, and a future. Thanks to this I am able to do the things I am doing now. I didn't need to think twice about joining you to Walk the World. - Paul Tergat, professional marathon runner and WFP Ambassador Against Hunger