For immediate release: January 26, 2004
Youth Fast to Raise Money
(Cobourg, ON) Horizons of Friendship; a local international development organization supporting communities in Central America and Mexico is pleased to announce its latest educational and fundraising initiative the “Fast for Friendship”.
The “Fast for Friendship” is a youth activity that seeks to raise money to help rural families in Nicaragua, with the active participation of high school students from Cobourg and Port Hope. Participants in this initiative will ask for financial pledges and will take part in a collective fast of approximate 30 hours including an educational overnight event on February 13th. All funds collected will be channeled to an emergency project initiated by Horizons of Friendship in partnership with a Nicaraguan Women’s organization.
Jessica Farias, Community Outreach Officer at Horizons of Friendship speaks on the nature of the emergency project: “Since last year, we have tried to mitigate an ongoing agricultural crisis in Nicaragua that has left hundreds of rural families at the point of starvation. These emergency funds will help over 260 families in Matagalpa, Nicaragua find solutions to achieve sustainable agricultural food production in their communities.”
The main two goals of the “Fast for Friendship” are to raise money, while raising awareness in Northumberland County about international development issues. Particularly, it tries to bring attention to the devastation and vulnerability faced by agricultural families in Central American countries.
Pat Clark, high school student at CDCI East who was instrumental in the planning of the event, comments: “The Fast for Friendship started as an idea proposed by high school students in Cobourg and follows the same safe format as other fasting activities of organizations like World Vision Canada and Development and Peace – we are glad to see the money raised being channeled to an organization from Northumberland”.
Another important supporter of the event is the Outreach Committee of Cobourg Trinity United Church, a local church group who have demonstrated in the past their commitment to promote international solidarity and humanitarian values.
The Fast for Friendship will also commemorate the national week of International Development promoted by the federal government in the month of February. Horizons of Friendship invites the community at large to support participants of the Fast for Friendship by making a financial pledge when approached by local youth.
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For more information about the “Fast for Friendship” please contact: Jessica Farias at (905) 372-5483 ext. 24 – jfarias@horizons.ca
