Auckland Girls Grammar School Launch 40 Hour Famine With pre-Famine Feast

Auckland Girls Grammar School is launching the 40 Hour Famine in their school on Friday 18 March during their lunchtime with a pre-Famine Feast of picnics and a sausage sizzle. They are raising money for the Famine by selling sausages and taking up a collection.

Gracie Keown, student organiser says, "We want to raise as much money as we can, and get the whole school involved. This is the first time we've had a big event to launch the Famine".

They hope to have ex-student Nicole Thompson, who plays Scarlett on Shortland Street, to MC the event and promote the 40 Hour Famine. School groups performing at this weekend's Polyfest will be providing entertainment during the lunch hour. Art students within the school have also done a massive chalk drawing of the Famine logo in the school grounds.

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17 March 2005

Mahurangi College "Spread the Word" for Aerial Photograph Flyover

Mahurangi College will form this year's 40 Hour Famine message "Spread the Word" on their school field at 2pm Friday 18 March for an aerial photograph.

Teacher organiser Ann McAuley will mark out the words with masking tape and students dressed in their inter-school 'house' colours will be directed onto the marked words. A local engineer will fly over the college around 2.30pm and take an aerial photograph of the students, which they hope to get published in their local paper.

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17 March 2005

Mahurangi Youth Sleep in Cardboard Village for 40 Hour Famine Forty Warkworth youth are building and sleeping in a cardboard box Shanty Town in Lucy Moore Park, Mahurangi from Friday 18 March 7pm to Saturday 19 March 9am for World Vision's 40 Hour Famine.

Mark Wilson, Youth Director at Mahurangi Presbyterian Church has organised the event in conjunction with Mahurangi College and with permission from the Rodney District Council.

"By simulating a third world experience we hope to inform our youth today on the way many underprivileged children live around the world." In effort to create a relative third world experience local tow truck drivers are bringing down five wrecked cars from local wreckers to be placed around the cardboard village.

They have also pre-arranged with restaurant owners for participating youth to dress in ragged clothing and beg in groups at local restaurants early Friday evening. Money gathered will be donated to World Vision along with money collected throughout the night from the visiting public.

Mahurangi College band Missing Link, winners of an interschool bands competition will provide entertainment by busking on the back of a truck. Videos of the Killing Fields in Cambodia and City of Joy in Calcutta will be screened during the night.

Mark Wilson doesn't expect to get much sleep Friday night.

"I'll be walking round most of the night to monitor and supervise the group, we'll be fairly strict that night," he says.

In event of rain they will suspend tarpaulin over the village and wrecked cars. Mr Wilson's closing comment is "I hope the weather's fine!"

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