Written by Rebecca Sutch
Ethan Hunger (center) crosses the finish line with his sister Maya Hunger (right) and girlfriend Joey Watermeyer (left) after completing the “12,000 Calorie Challenge.” Photo by Dan Perl.
“I want to show people that even if you set out to live the most physically demanding day you can imagine, it comes nowhere near waking up hungry.” That’s how Ethan Hunger (yes, his real name) describes the idea behind “Hunger Vs. Hunger,” his annual fundraising campaign for the Bellingham Food Bank, which he volunteers at every week. Humble and hard-working, the 26-year-old Bellingham realtor has found a unique way to raise awareness of food insecurity in Whatcom County: losing 12,000 calories in one day. For context, without being physically active, a person will generally burn around 2,000 calories a day.
The challenge began in 2021 with two sponsors, no specific fitness plan, one friend accompanying him, and a goal of “10,000 calories for $10,000.” Ethan successfully burned just over 10,000 calories by the time they finished the original version of the challenge. Since then, the challenge and goals have increased substantially.
This year, with 35 sponsors, the goal has risen to $100,000. Starting in May, Ethan hosted 15 local events that offered fun and interactive ways for the community to get involved. These included free yoga classes, pickleball tournaments, and concerts, in addition to the main event on July 20th, when Ethan took on what is now the “12,000 calorie challenge.”
This included:
Supporters came together to participate in a H.I.I.T. class with Ethan, hosted by J.D. Elite Fitness. Photo by Audrey Stevenson.
You can find the full breakdown of the day on his website.
While those numbers are impressive, even better is the way the community came together to support Ethan and the food bank. More than 100 people joined him in completing different parts of the challenge, one of those being his sister, Maya Hunger, who completed the entire challenge with him this year. He crossed the finish line hand-in-hand with her and his girlfriend, Joey Watermeyer, and surrounded by others who had run the final leg of their course with them. All smiles, they were welcomed enthusiastically - to put it lightly - by a mix of friends, family, and other community supporters.
During his speech that night at the Stone’s Throw Brewery Finish Line Party, you could hear the emotion in his voice as Ethan began describing his thoughts as he swam through Lake Whatcom. “I kept coming back to this word of community, and what does that mean in this sense?” He said he felt “silly” at times for his name being used for the fundraiser. “Sure, this is my fundraiser, but it’s obviously so much more than just me.”
Friends, family, and other supporters gather at Stone’s Throw Brewery to celebrate Ethan and Maya as they complete the 12,000 calorie challenge. Photo by Dan Perl.
Mike Cohen, the director of the Bellingham Food Bank, spoke next. After acknowledging the issue of food insecurity, he focused on Ethan’s hard work and impressive ability to bring the community together to make change. “When you see someone with an idea, and it just kind of ripples out … it is really impressive, and it makes me, who is a pretty cynical person, hopeful of things turning around and getting better for more people.”
The best part? They raised over $14,000 that night. Just enough to exceed their goal of $100,000 – and it’s not even over yet.
It’s easy to see that a milestone has been reached and think nothing more needs to be done, but while Ethan’s goals this year are higher than ever before, so is the community’s need for support. With funding decreasing alongside food affordability and accessibility, local Food Banks are struggling to keep up with demand. Since the fundraiser’s first year, the number of families relying on the Bellingham Food Bank each week has risen from about 1,700 to 5,000. Their expenditure is the highest of any Washington Food Bank, and approximately 80% of their funding comes from community donations.
Here's how you can get involved:
Donate through Hunger Vs. Hunger now through August 31st, or through the Bellingham Food Bank at any time.
Join Ethan and hundreds of others as a volunteer.
Contact Ethan today if you’d like to become a sponsor.
*Follow @hungervshunger on Instagram to keep up with Ethan’s efforts – and the documentary in progress!
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