TROY, Kan. - Doniphan County relied on the rhythm of marching feet Wednesday afternoon to highlight senior citizens' nutrition needs.

The county's fourth annual March for Meals around the square in Troy included music, whip-cracking "Wolf River" Bob Breeze of White Cloud, horses and convertibles. All 32 units were designed to increase hunger awareness and recruit volunteers to agencies involved in reducing its incidence in the county.

The overall purpose of the parade is to ensure that no senior citizen goes hungry, said Connie Potter, administrator of the Doniphan County Council on Aging.

"We're always looking at new and better things" to achieve those goals, Mrs. Potter said.

Donations are taken from those who eat meals at the county's four nutrition sites, she said. That means the council must come up with other funding through government grants, business donations, school penny drives and other resources.

"We serve about 200 meals a day" and average 36,000 meals annually, she said.

The council asked all Doniphan County mayors and - for the first time - county commissioners to deliver homebound meals.

"They were just very thankful to receive the meals," said Wathena Mayor Jim McAnerney, of residents he met on the route.

Commissioner David Van Laar said he also experienced grateful reactions and a secondary benefit to offering the service.

"It gave me an opportunity to see the senior center," he said, referring to the county's central kitchen in Highland.

The day gave officials the opportunity to consider other issues that confront them in the quest to serve senior citizens.

A reduction in services that allows seniors to remain in their own homes could be a consequence of the state budget fight, said Jim Beckwith, executive director of the Northeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging. Otherwise, it's possible that federal stimulus and omnibus legislation could assist nutrition programs.

"That's not trickled down yet," Mr. Beckwith said.

Permitting seniors to remain in their homes is a desirable outcome for taxpayers, said Ron Murphy, Doniphan County's lone delegate to the Kansas Silver-Haired Legislature.

"You'll save a lot of money by keeping those people in home," he said.

After the march, an expo at the Troy Community Center featured information booths on various senior citizen issues.

March for Meals is an initiative of the Meals on Wheels Association of America.

Ray Scherer can be reached at rscherer@npgco.com.