Melissa Fletcher
Fort High students are preparing for the annual “30-Hour Famine” taking place in May.
“Saving Faces,” a local group of students who band together to help people in need, already have been recruiting fellow classmates to join the cause.
“[The ‘30-Hour Famine’] is when students stay overnight at the high school and don’t eat in order to get a perspective of what children in poverty go through,” noted Saving Faces member, Dexter Fichuk.
“Students get sponsored to participate and all of our money goes to World Vision,” he explained.
The money collected will be donated to causes supported by World Vision.
The students will get to choose which cause the money goes to, including food and nutrition, child protection, education, water, or whichever other cause needs the money the most.
The “30-Hour Famine” has been a successful fundraiser at Fort High over the years.
“Last year we had collected around $7,000,” noted Fichuk.
“We raise a lot of money for people in need,” he enthused.
Taking into consideration health concerns that come with not eating for an extended period of time, students will be supervised by a teacher.
They are allowed one bowl of steamed rice, as well as water and juice.
Students also are required to fill out permission forms, which can be obtained at the main office of the high school.
“We really get an understanding of what it’s like for people who are less fortunate,” said participating student Tina Pham,
“We live in a place where it’s so easy for us to just go to the grocery store and buy food.
“For a lot of people, it’s much more difficult than that,” she stressed.
Some may wonder what students would do to keep busy for 30 hours food-free.
“We have games planned,” noted Pham, “And we have movies picked out we can watch in the theatre on the big screen.
“It’s actually a really fun event to participate in, and we’re helping people while we do it,” she reasoned.
Fort High students are encouraged to sign up and participate, or help sponsor a friend. Any support is what keeps these fundraisers going strong.
“Saving People, Saving Faces” is the motto this group of students strive to live by.
Whether they are fasting for the hungry or simply keeping people in their thoughts, these students show it doesn’t take a lot to give a lot.
