THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 1, 1995 TAG: 9502280097
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARLENE FORD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
Teens like to eat. Thick crust pizzas, jelly doughnuts and french fries smooshed with ketchup.
But when 13 giggly, high energy kids were ``locked in'' for 30 hours at the Fort Story Chapel, last weekend, one thing missing was all that adolescent soul food.
No food. That's the point.
From 1 p.m. Friday to 7 p.m. Saturday the members of the First Landing Chapel Protestant Youth Group fasted.
They were among 300,000 teenagers in the United States and Canada participating in an effort called ``30 Hours of Famine.'' Sponsored by World Vision, an international Christian relief and development organization, these local teens were part of a mission to raise money through pledges that benefit starving children and their families in 97 famine-ridden nations.
The group is jointly run by youth group leader Judy Carlson, the chapel's Protestant chaplain, Tim Carlson, and their daughter, Nora Carlson, youth sponsor.
``Around the U.S. today 30,000 youth groups like us are participating,'' Carlson said. ``But that's really a low estimate. Last year $1.25 million was raised by teens alone. Two million is the goal this year, and so far our group has raised $700.''
This is the first year the local group has participated. When the project was suggested at a weekly meeting, everyone agreed it was a righteous effort. Some also ``kind of freaked out,'' grinned the chaplain.
Kieyesia Rosado, 14, said, ``Sure I was surprised. Thirty hours of starving. I've never starved before!'' Like one of Pavlov's puppies, Allison Barrell, 16, added, ``And it doesn't help that on the very same table we usually get our Sunday morning doughnuts, there's only juice today.''
A preteen member of the youth group wheedled his way to the front of his taller, lankier colleagues. Nels Carlson, 12, piped, ``I may be smaller than anyone else, but I'm just as hungry. Last night all I could think about was food. But 30 hours - that's nothing compared to kids who spend all their lives starving.''
In fact, all the members made a big deal about the fact that their weekend project was helping others. On cue, they quoted statistics like: $10 provides food for a child for 20 days and $25 provides a family with seeds and tools for planting their next food crop. T-shirts are imprinted with the slogan, ``It's about saving kids' lives.''
Throughout the 30 hours, prayer, meditation, group discussions about the ministry and videos of the organization's missions in Zaire, Somalia, Mozambique and Ethiopia occupied the bulk of time. But between the seriousness there were beach walks, chapel lawn clean-up, a rec center basketball game and the obligatory pillow fight at midnight.
``Pillow fight. You get kind of volatile when you're hungry,'' Kris Carlson, 14 from Cox High School, said, rubbing his head.
Individual group members raised between $6 and $143. Most of the money came prior to the ``30 Hour Famine'' weekend as contributions from friends and family supporting the effort. Some of the kids raised nickels and dimes at school promising friends they weren't going to eat for 30 hours; some went door to door in their neighborhoods explaining the mission.
On Friday night, a few group members and Tim Carlson gave one final effort. They knocked on the doors of Fort Story barracks. The consciousness of a few soldiers was raised, as well as their total.
Although some said it was too close to payday and they didn't have any money, others willingly gave when they learned it was for hungry kids. One man dumped out a bottle full of change.
The 30 hours ended Saturday night with a pizza party and some first-hand understanding about going hungry.
``Sure the party sounds pretty cool,'' Tom Mattingly, 14, said. ``But the best part of the weekend is the fellowship. Oh, and the insight. I really know the people we're raising this money for aren't waiting for any pizza.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos by MARLENE FORD
Fasting members of the First Landing Chapel Protestant Youth Group
couldn't eat, so they kept busy in other ways. Kieyesia Rosado, 14,
waited in the sleeping area while Allison Barrell, center, had fun
in a tug of war. Kris Carlson, 14, raked the grounds outside the
base chapel to pass the time.
by CNB