About 400 Harvard administrators, faculty and students, including President Derek C. Bok, yesterday joined an estimated 25,000 others from the Boston-area in the 18th annual "Walk for Hunger," which raised roughly $2.5 million for the needy.

The Harvard participants in the 20-mile walk, sponsored by the non-profit group Project Bread, gathered more than $50,000 in pledges, said Ralph S. Guernsey, a fifth-year Divinity School student who coordinated Harvard participation.

The event began early yesterday morning in the Boston Common with a kick-off rally, which featured speeches by Gov. Michael S. Dukakis and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn. The walkers followed a circuitous route through Beacon Hill, Newton, the Harvard campus and back to the Boston Common. Most participants finished in between five and six hours.

About 90 percent of the money class has gone through and put them inperspective," Georges said, adding, "I'm actuallynot very funny."

At Commencment, the graduating seniors willhear a classmate speak about life as a Southernerat Harvard--in Latin. Only the Class of 1987,however, will receive the English translation ofthe speech.

"It's a somewhat unconventional orationcompared to some that have been given in pastyears," Brinkley said. "I'm planning such specialeffects as calling up Robert E. Lee from thedead."

Fingerman will speak to those who have not yetlearned Latin. In her address "The Time to Grow,"she will urge the audience to continue to broadentheir interests after they graduate.

"When I walk through the Yard I see all thesekiosks and think, I wish I had the time to dothat,'" she said. "You always think that you'llmake time for something next year, but now you'regraduating and you still haven't. When you leaveit will be worse.

In his graduate oration, Putnam will discusshis experiences after leaving a lifetime career ofteaching to return to school. "My address is aconfirmation of what it's like to go back toschool and learn about a field you've been in fora while," said the 41-year-old formerschoolteacher, who is working on a M.Ed. degree.

Terri E. Gerstein contributed to thereporting of this article.