The 15th annual March for the Food Bank with Monte Belmonte will once again traverse the 43 miles from Springfield to Greenfield over Monday and Tuesday.

The march has come to be known not just for the creative costumes donned by marchers pushing decorated shopping carts through three counties, but also for the large sums of money it has raised over the years to combat hunger.

Andrew Morehouse, executive director of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, said that if this year’s fundraising goal of $500,000 is met, it will allow the food bank to provide the equivalent of 1.5 million meals to community members in need.

Morehouse will be marching the full distance alongside local radio personality Christopher “Monte” Belmonte of Turners Falls, who launched the fundraiser in 2010, and U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern.

“It’s a long walk over two days, and it’s painful, but it’s nothing compared to the stress and anxiety people experience when they’re facing food insecurity,” Morehouse said.

When Belmonte first pushed an empty shopping cart from Northampton to Greenfield 15 years ago with the goal of raising $5,000 for the food bank, he was overwhelmed by the abundance of community support his fundraiser generated, ending up with $13,000 raised that year.

At the time of writing, this year’s fundraiser has already raised $122,283, or 24% of its overall goal, before the march itself has taken place.

“It started out as a ridiculous publicity stunt that has grown into something powerful and meaningful for a lot of people,” Belmonte recounted. He later added that “when we started it, we didn’t know what to expect. I, first of all, didn’t even know if I could walk 26 miles.”

But since then, the march has grown in size, goals and distance to become a massive display of community solidarity — with some individuals pushing through the entire 43-mile stretch, and others joining in for just a few blocks to show their support.

Belmonte said he is grateful for the help of Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School students, who craft shopping carts for the marchers to push, usually emblazoned with the march’s iconic blue flames.

“The empty shopping cart is a symbol of hunger,” Belmonte said.

Over the years, the march has been full of what Belmonte calls “children’s picture-book moments,” ranging from weird and whimsical to touching.

“I’m often in a costume. Sometimes a band or an accordion will pop up out of nowhere,” he said. “People will do it in medieval armor, people have done it on horses or roller blades. ... We keep it weird and accessible at all levels.”

In fact, one of the march’s most consistent top donors is the person behind many beloved children’s picture books: Mo Willems. Belmonte said that Willems likes to challenge others by donating large sums, which encourages other donors to give even larger amounts.

Belmonte said it’s not too late to donate or march, and he encourages community members to get involved however they can.

“There’s a million ways to participate,” he said.

The first leg of the march is set to begin at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Springfield at 7 a.m. on Monday and will end at WRSI The River in Northampton by around 3 p.m., but marchers are welcome to come earlier for the kick-off celebration. Tuesday’s portion of the march will begin at the corner of Pleasant Street and Hampton Avenue in Northampton at 7 a.m. and ends at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield at around 6 p.m.

For route maps or to follow the march in real time, check the Monte Tracker page on the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts’ website.

Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.