Last weekend, 30 students at St. Gregorios Orthodox Church in Floral Park forwent one of every teenager’s great delights: food. They did it to support children around the world who go to bed hungry most nights.
Joining more than 180,000 teenagers from some 7,000 churches nationwide, the youth of St. Gregorios will participate in World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine event. The event, now in its 25th year, brought together tens of thousands of teenagers who will devote a weekend to fasting, prayer and service to fight hunger. Fasting from food for 30 hours, teens spend a weekend, usually at a church, learning about the impact of hunger on children around the world and participating in community service activities.
“It’s a wonderful cause that often gets overlooked,” says Roby Antony, team captain and youth advisor of St. Gregorios. “The youth is doing a great job bringing awareness to a subject that isn’t addressed in our community. I’m hoping that other organizations will follow in their steps.”
The teens prepared for the event by raising money for World Vision food and nutrition programs. Since its start in 1992, American teens have raised some $177 million through participation in the 30 Hour Famine events. Students at St. Gregorios have participated in the famine in previous years, but have now revived the event in their parish to take their service a step further. This year they have already raised well over $1,000 and are on track to reach their goal of a total of $3,000 towards the cause.
For more information about the 30 Hour Famine, visit www.30hourfamine.org. For more information about St. Gregorios’ event, contact Ronny Antony. For more information about World Vision’s work, contact Amy Parodi.
