That photo captures my three eldest just after they finished an enormous community game that mixed capture-the-flag, tag, and full-contact hide-and-seek. Roughly eighty kids were chasing one another through mud, grabbing armbands, tackling, sliding and laughing. They came away dirty, exhilarated, and alive — giving everything they had.
My boys throw themselves into things. We aren’t a halfway family; when we commit, we commit fully. This was their third year taking part in the 30 Hour Famine. Many youth groups across North America participate: teenagers fast for thirty hours, raise funds to help combat global hunger, and complete community service projects like collecting food for local banks, assisting homebound or disabled neighbors with yard work and chores, or traveling from rural areas to help with urban beautification and construction in under-resourced neighborhoods. If you’ve raised a teenager, you know how significant it is when they voluntarily give up food for a cause.
They approach the event with serious enthusiasm. They plan projects, discuss their ideas with friends, and eagerly anticipate the Famine each year. I’m proud of their motivation to serve others, and when they asked me to share their fundraising appeal here, I was happy to help amplify their effort. If you’d consider visiting their personal fundraising page and learning more about what they’re doing, I’d be very grateful.