Could you imagine going without food for a whole day and a half? Most people could not. This is exactly, though, what participants of the 30 Hour Famine did from January 26th to 27th.  Over $1300 was raised this year.

The goal of those involved in the 30 hour famine is to spread awareness about childhood hunger. In the thirty hours that the event takes place, more than 7,000 kids will die of hunger-related causes. The idea for a 30 hour famine was first thought of by a youth group, and has since become very popular with schools everywhere.

The event was put together by Jackie Garcia, with the help of other C.U.R.E members. Jackie explained that getting ready for the famine has been a team effort.

“This event was put together by myself and all of the club members. Since December we have been planning, getting chaperones and doing all the paperwork.”

Abby Kilroy, who participated in the famine last year, described it as an amazing experience that opened her eyes to what many experience on a daily basis. “I would definitely recommend it to other people to raise money and get community service hours. It  opened my mind to realize there are people starving in the world. It helped me understand not everyone is as fortunate as us.”

Many ask what exactly is planned for the night of the famine, when participants sleep in the school cafeteria. “We have many different fun activities prepared to keep everyone occupied! I won’t reveal too much, but a lot of the games we have planned focus on helping people get to know each other better and break the ice!” Jackie says.

Even though many find that doing the 30 Hour Famine is an enjoyable experience, Jackie still believes that it spreads an important message of the horrors of childhood hunger. “I think this event does successfully spread awareness about famines experienced by so many across the world everyday. You never know exactly what someone else goes through until you go through it yourself.”