97-year-old to Walk Marathon to Fight Starvation in Mexico

Published September 8th, 2021

There is a first time for everything, even for someone who thinks he has seen it all and done it all, at 97 years young.

Born in New York in 1924, Gerry Teldon has traveled to 47 countries and all 50 US states. During his travels after retirement, he and his wife fell in love with San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico, and moved there in 1998. He soon became involved with the welfare of needy children. For ten years Gerry served as a volunteer driver for Feed the Hungry San Miguel, delivering food every week to the rural communities where the organization operates school kitchens. His mission was to give children a chance at a better life through good nutrition.

During WWII, Gerry was a fighter pilot in Italy with 62 missions. He was retired and recalled for two years during the Korean War. And now he is applying his fortitude to walk a 3k marathon on October 23, 2021, to benefit Feed the Hungry. Founded in 1984, Feed the Hungry San Miguel provides healthy, hot lunches to children in 36 underserved areas of the municipality. In March 2020, they began weekly deliveries of critical food supplies to more than 20,000 desperate residents of all ages whose lives were turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic. As of the end of August 2021, they have delivered 135,000 food bags containing ingredients to help families prepare more than 13 million meals.

“Since 1924, the year I was born, four deadly pandemics have hit the world. I’ve survived those and two wars. I am thankful for every day. With whatever time I have left, I want to help children in need. When I found out that Feed the Hungry had a challenge for a fundraising opportunity, I simply could not think of a better way to honor my life, my family, and friends, and my legacy of giving and caring for the children of this country that has given so much to me. I can no longer drive anywhere, but I can certainly walk,” said Gerry.

Gerry believes that eliminating sugar from his diet and having a positive outlook in life has been the key to his longevity. Through his participation in the Feed the Hungry Walk for Food on October 23 in San Miguel de Allende, he aims to raise $100,000 dollars.

Established in 1984, Feed the Hungry San Miguel, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) U.S. non-profit corporation guided by a dedicated Board of Trustees, supported by a small, professional staff and a corps of exceptional volunteers. Feed the Hungry San Miguel, Inc. raises funds and provides guidelines to its Mexican operating entity, Feed the Hungry A.C. and donataria autorizada. During the school year, they provide more than 5,000 hot meals every day in school kitchens in 36 mostly rural communities. In response to the pandemic, Feed the Hungry retooled its operations to distribute food for entire families struggling to avoid starvation.