Majid Babaie knows hunger.

As a boy in India, and later as a grown man visiting Cambodia, he saw it.

"There were children sitting naked, with flies on them - waiting for the barest of foods to eat," Babaie said. "That picture you see in your head, you never forget."

As a college and graduate student in Ohio, he felt hard times, often eating beans and hot dogs after money for school was cut off.

That is why he hoofed the 3.75 miles during Sunday's 33rd yearly CROP Walk with his wife, Lisa, daughter, Michelle, 23, and son, Jonathan, 20. It's why he's recruited other walkers from his church, St. Luke Catholic, for 22 years.

The Babaies joined about 7,000 other walkers who stretched for blocks on the route through some of Charlotte's inner-city neighborhoods, among them Belmont and Optimist Park, where much of the money raised will be used.

The country's largest CROP walk - organizers hope to raise $260,000 from Sunday's effort - was not even close to the Charlotte record of $320,000 in 2000.

"We're struggling through this economy like everyone else," said local CROP administrator Jennifer Hall. "We may not know until January whether we made the goal. But we're confident we will."

'Fight for the hungry'

Before the start on Elizabeth Avenue, Wes and Beth Argabrite of Charlotte sat sipping on iced tea at a table in front of City Deli, hoping to be near the front of the pack of walkers when it was released.

The couple walks 4 to 6 miles a day.

"And we like to walk at a pretty good pace, so we don't want to get held back," Wes said.

They recruited neighbors and people in their church, nearby St. Martin's Episcopal, to join them.

"To our neighbors, we said, 'You know we walk all the time. On Sunday, we're walking to fight for the hungry,' " Beth said.

Since 1978, local walkers have raised more than $6.3 million by soliciting donations from friends or others. Of that, 25 percent, or $1.6 million, has remained home to help organizations such as Crisis Assistance Ministry, Second Harvest Food Bank and Loaves & Fishes feed the hungry.

Joel and Stephanie Adelman of Charlotte signed up to walk with their church, South Park Christian, but wanted to use the event to teach their 8-year-old twins, Lizzie and Ellie, an important lesson.

"We want to expose the girls to these causes," Joel said.

"We want to teach them to help others," Stephanie added.

Through sponsors, they raised $800.

Andrew Metz, 17, was determined to run the route for his church, Philadelphia Presbyterian in Mint Hill.

"I like to help others," he said. "I know my contribution is small, but together we can really make a difference. I have a passion for working on global problems. Hunger is certainly spread throughout the world."

Angel Gabriel joins crowd

Teenagers Montana Roberts, Kate Hickert and Lucy Keller, all members of St. Peter's Episcopal Church uptown, walked in period costumes hanging around the church - Montana as Joseph, Kate as Mary and Lucy as the angel Gabriel.

Several younger members, including Josh Jarrett and Garrett Keith, dressed as sheep.

"We wanted to give our walk a Jesus theme," Montana said.

"Jesus was all about helping the poor," Kate said. "We felt that reflects well on the CROP Walk. We're out here to help the poor."

They plan to do it again next year. Only then, Lucy said, "we're going to come as superheroes. They fight for the underdog, too."