UW-Madison sophomore Cedric Lawson admits that as a college student, he has had days of sparse food intake. But on Wednesday, Lawson plans to forgo food for a cause.
Lawson and more than 150 other students are participating in \Fast-a-thon,"" an event organized by the Muslim Students Association. These students pledge to fast for one day as Muslims do for the month of Ramadan. Local businesses will donate $1 to the food pantry at Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center, 953 Jenifer St., for each participating non-Muslim student.
During Ramadan, Muslims do not eat, drink, smoke or have sexual relations from sunrise to sunset. On Wednesday, this means participants will fast from about 5:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at which time they will break the fast together in the Chadbourne Hall main lounge.
""It's a challenge, but it's not impossible,"" UW-Madison sophomore Maryam Ashraf, an organizer of the event, said of fasting.
Ashraf said she hoped Fast-a-thon would increase awareness about both Islam and issues of hunger. According to Ashraf, the MSA chose the WMNC because they wanted bring to public notice the existence of hunger in Madison.
""We wanted to call attention to people who don't eat not for a religious reason or any type of tradition but for the mere fact that they don't have any food,"" she said.
The WMNC food pantry charity, which serves approximately 40 households per week, has seen a 29 percent increase in use over the past year, according to Dana Hoffman, program coordinator for the center.
Food pantries across the continent expect similar charity from Fast-a-thons at other campuses. Fast-a-thon started at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in 2001 and has since spread across the United States and Canada. This is the event's first year at UW-Madison.
Lawson said he plans to prepare for his fast by eating a lot and drinking plenty of water Tuesday night.
""I know it's going to be for a good cause,"" he said. ""I'm just going to keep myself busy throughout the day.""
More information is available at http://www.sit.wisc.edu/~msa.
