After going without food for more than 12 long hours, students gathered at Skybarn on South Campus to break their fast.

Sitting patiently, the participants in the annual Fast-a-Thon performed a traditional Muslim prayer before sinking their teeth into food provided by Samrat Indian Restaurant. They had fasted the day before from 5:30 a.m. until 5:45 p.m.

On Thursday night, the Muslim Students Association hosted Syracuse University’s seventh annual Fast-a-Thon. College campuses across the country also sponsor this event. Any student can participate, regardless of faith.

In the Islamic culture, fasting is about promoting charity and self-examination.

‘It creates a sense of solidarity with people who do not have enough to eat,’ said Tanweer Haq, the Muslim chaplain for SU.

Fast-a-Thon events raise money for a specific charity. The purpose of the event is to raise awareness about hunger while educating students about the significance of fasting across various faith traditions.

The MSA teamed up with the Interfaith Student Council, the students behind SU’s Better Together chapter, to host the event. Better Together is a national movement that aims to bring people of different religions together to tackle social issues, according to the Hendricks Chapel website. The Interfaith Student Council sponsors the campaign and focuses on hunger, making the collaboration with the MSA’s Fast-a-Thon a perfect fit.

In the past, proceeds have benefited the Rescue Mission, said MSA President Azhar Ali, a junior with a major in selected studies in education. This year’s Fast-a-Thon proceeds will go to the Meals on Wheels of Syracuse. 

Syeisha Byrd, graduate student in social work and director of the Office of Engagement Programs at Hendricks, came up with the idea to donate to the organization.

Meals on Wheels appreciates the contribution because it relies heavily on donations, Parton said. Founded in 1959, the organization provides 200,000 meals a year on a $1 million budget, so every penny counts.

One of the founding programs is located in Syracuse. Volunteers provide each person with two meals per day without discriminating based on income, taking health complications and allergies into account. But the work for the community doesn’t stop there.

‘We provide a lot more than food,’ said Sarah Parton, the community relations assistant for Meals on Wheels.

Delivery volunteers check on the meal recipients daily and notify families of any health or safety issues they might see. On several occasions, the organization found recipients in distress and provided the help they needed.

The point that all three organizations hoped to convey is that hunger is an issue that affects everyone, regardless of religious backgrounds and beliefs, said Rachel Tjornehoj, a fellow of the Interfaith Student Council and senior graphic design and Spanish major.

At the end of the event, Tjornehoj, Ali and Parton gave a heartfelt thank you to all of the participants.

The groups raised $620 in pledges, a number that will likely increase by later this week, Ali said. It is proof that the organizations really are better together, he said.

bihumper@syr.edu

Published on February 26, 2012 at 12:00 pm