THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 8, 1996 TAG: 9603070156
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 02W EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JANELLE LA BOUVE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 104 lines
Eighteen teenagers from Prince of Peace Catholic Church, who fasted together for 30 hours to raise money to alleviate world hunger, won't know until next week whether they reached their $1,000 goal.
But they agree that the experience has made them spiritually richer.
``World Vision sponsored the fast,'' explained Kim Burnop, a senior at Great Bridge High School, youth group co-chair and one of the event's organizers. ``It went well. We were surprised that juice held us over that long. But after watching other people around the world, our hunger diminished.''
Each student asked at least five people to make pledges to sponsor the effort. The fast began on a recent Friday at 1 p.m. while the students were still in school. At 7 p.m., they met at the church and had their first overnight ``lock in.''
``It was my first fast of that length,'' said P. Arthur Verdin, youth minister and owner and operator of Government Sources of Virginia, an electronics company. ``It hit me that we had planned our famine while the hungry people in the world are not planning it at all. It just kind of happens to them. We didn't go into it hungry, and I really was not hungry until it was about over. It would have been nice to have the fast go longer so we really could know what it's like to be hungry.''
The event included service to the community.
``On Saturday we went to two nursing homes,'' Verdin said. ``These kids, even though they were hungry, all wanted to be there. They did not come because their parents made them. In spite of their hunger, they were willing to go out into the community to help people at the nursing home. That was an eye-opening experience.
``Some of these people couldn't raise themselves in bed, but they were so appreciative of our being there,'' Verdin said. ``We got to see people with real needs while we all live in our comfortable world.
``It (visiting nursing homes) is something that really needs to be done,'' he said. ``We went back to the church and had a really mature discussion about our experiences, including what it costs to be in a nursing home and that there are some people who can't afford to be in a nursing home. We talked about how the nurses treated the patients.
``Kim Burnop and Erin Newsome spent a ton of time getting donations for what they called `the end of the famine,' '' Verdin said. ``They learned about asking for donations as they explained to merchants what we were doing. It was hard, but they learned from that, too.''
``I was surprised,'' said John Nogosek, one of the adult chaperones. ``It was not that hard. Spending the night at the church and not having to think about it (food), broke up the time.
``I think it built a lot of character in the group,'' he said. ``We learned more about each other and became closer. I think they learned about themselves. They probably had some doubts just about the thought of not eating for 30 hours. Individually, they learned a lot about their own character. I think they were pleasantly surprised that they were up to the task.''
For Nogosek's son, Craig, the fast was a first.
``They really kept us busy with so many activities that we never really noticed being hungry until the last,'' said Craig Nogosek, a Great Bridge High School senior. ``We were ready to eat by the end. But it was a lot of fun, and that really helped us tackle the hunger.''
The group watched a video, which showed examples of small African countries where many people face malnutrition daily.
``There are villages without ample food and water,'' Craig said. ``Some of their food and water supplies are contaminated. So they have two choices. Starve or eat and drink contaminated food and water.
``You see these people and the struggles they face with the help of World Vision,'' he said. ``I am in total awe of their struggle. I live in the Great Bridge community and have everything that I need or want and didn't realize what people in the rest of the world have to tackle.''
The time of fasting was also a positive experience for Kellie Pelikan.
``We were fine,'' said Kellie, 14, a ninth-grader at Oscar F. Smith High School.
A pen pal from Sri Lanka keeps the Chesapeake youngster informed about poverty.
``My family lived in Puerto Rico for a time, and I knew there were hungry people around us, but I didn't really see them,'' Kellie said. ``I thought a fast would help a lot to raise money to help in world hunger.
``The fast was pretty fun,'' she said. ``We played some really silly games, and the juice really kept us motivated. I got hungry about an hour before we went to Mass (at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, near the end of the 30-hour fast). It was a good experience for all of us. We learned a lot about each other and did a lot of things together. But we were all tired because no one slept.''
``There is always some concern about lock-ins with kids,'' Verdin said. ``It was our first. They were model citizens and parishioners. We didn't have to tell them to go to bed or to get up. There was nothing anyone could complain about.''
``It was a wonderful experience for me,'' said Sean Morrissey, a Great Bridge High School junior. ``We played games and listened to music, and it gave us a chance to socialize with a lot of people. We slept at the church and I got about 4 1/2 hours sleep. I wanted to help people around the world.
``Oh yes, I was hungry. Fasting was hard, but I managed to pull through,'' said Sean.
Anyone who raised $500 or more was a candidate to go overseas to work in areas where people are starving.
Sean earned $100 for World Vision and sent away for free prizes, a poster and a Christian music cassette.
``I learned that for every breath I take, somebody in the world dies hungry,'' Sean said. ``I will think of the world differently now. I won't take food for granted any more. It has changed me slightly.'' by CNB