Students raise money and awareness with 30-hour fast
Peter Halloran
Issue date: 3/2/07 Section: Keeping the Faith
- Page 1 of 2 next >
Many people may never wonder what it would be like to be truly hungry. Not just the I-forgot-to-grab-a-bite-before-class kind of hungry, but the kind of hunger that threatens lives. In an effort to raise both money and awareness for the 29,000 people who die every day due to hunger, 15 Gonzaga students took part in a 30-hour fast this past weekend.
While Papa John's and Domino's delivery cars were buzzing all around campus, these students were drinking juice and building solidarity with a world that we so often lose touch with: reality.
"There is so much need, and so much excess," said Justice Club Vice President Katie Mulcaire-Jones. The group worked together to raise nearly $1,000 for World Vision, an international organization that works in more than 100 countries worldwide to tackle poverty and hunger.
The participants in the fast spent Saturday being pro-active to fight hunger locally, taking 50 meals to the House of Charity and Crosswalk, both of which work to serve the homeless of Spokane.
"Habits are the hardest to overcome," said sophomore Maggie Zaback. "You become aware of how pervasive food is - it's everywhere, but you don't notice it until you can't have it."
Last year, the nationwide 30-hour fast raised $11.6 million from more than 600,000 participants, which in the grand scheme of things may not seem like a great deal, but considering $1 a day is enough to feed a child, the fast does make a difference. According to the World Vision Web site, 3,391 have been fed so far this year.
For the students who took part in the fast, it isn't enough to think of hunger as something that exists in a foreign land. Katie Infantine, along with her fellow participants, found herself naming the paper dolls in Crosby to personalize the issue or world hunger.
"To think how different it would feel if it was friends or family that were dying of starvation is startling," said Infantine.
As a college student, it may seem like there is nothing we can do to alleviate hunger, but this is not the case. "I work at the COG. and it strikes me how much food people leave on their plates," said Tim Staples, a freshman, who also took part in the fast.
While Papa John's and Domino's delivery cars were buzzing all around campus, these students were drinking juice and building solidarity with a world that we so often lose touch with: reality.
"There is so much need, and so much excess," said Justice Club Vice President Katie Mulcaire-Jones. The group worked together to raise nearly $1,000 for World Vision, an international organization that works in more than 100 countries worldwide to tackle poverty and hunger.
The participants in the fast spent Saturday being pro-active to fight hunger locally, taking 50 meals to the House of Charity and Crosswalk, both of which work to serve the homeless of Spokane.
"Habits are the hardest to overcome," said sophomore Maggie Zaback. "You become aware of how pervasive food is - it's everywhere, but you don't notice it until you can't have it."
Last year, the nationwide 30-hour fast raised $11.6 million from more than 600,000 participants, which in the grand scheme of things may not seem like a great deal, but considering $1 a day is enough to feed a child, the fast does make a difference. According to the World Vision Web site, 3,391 have been fed so far this year.
For the students who took part in the fast, it isn't enough to think of hunger as something that exists in a foreign land. Katie Infantine, along with her fellow participants, found herself naming the paper dolls in Crosby to personalize the issue or world hunger.
"To think how different it would feel if it was friends or family that were dying of starvation is startling," said Infantine.
As a college student, it may seem like there is nothing we can do to alleviate hunger, but this is not the case. "I work at the COG. and it strikes me how much food people leave on their plates," said Tim Staples, a freshman, who also took part in the fast.