Sometimes going hungry can bring benefits to those in need.
That’s what Ponoka Secondary Campus students hope to achieve after taking part in this year’s edition of 30-hour famine. The fundraiser event was held from Friday, April 15 to Saturday afternoon with kids not eating from the Friday morning until the next day, said organizer and Grade 9 social studies teacher Brady Teeling.
The event brought together 50 students and raised $6,045 for the 30-Hour Famine World Vision program, which aims to fight world hunger. In this case, the money will go towards bringing clean water to families where it is hard to get.
Teeling said this money will go a long way to helping dozens of children. With some help from social studies teacher Ron Haggarty, organizers were able to set the tone for the weekend about the positive experience.
For most of the night, kids were able to watch movies, play games or go to the gym for fun, unstructured time. By the time 1 p.m. rolled around on Saturday, they were hungry and ready to eat.
“When they eat the subs from Subway, I think they get it,” said Teeling of the experience.
He suggests once students realize what they raised and the importance of eating, the event becomes a positive learning experience.