Courtesy of Jenine Kotob

Kalia Abiade and her son, Adam, participate in 2007's Hungry Hokies Fast-a-thon.

| Mary Hardbarger

mary.hardbarger@roanoke.com, 381-1679

BLACKSBURG -- At the end of November, Jenine Kotob and other members of the Virginia Tech community will participate in a fast -- something she said many people must face on a day-to-day basis.

The Hungry Hokies Fast-a-thon is a joint effort among Tech students and local businesses to address the problem of hunger in the Blacksburg area. This is the third year the event has taken place on the Tech campus on a large scale.

Universities across the United States hold their own fasting events and, this year, the chairman of the fast-a-thon committee wants to "go out with a bang."

Kotob is a fifth-year architecture student and has been participating in fasts for years. The second year of the event, she said, $1,000 was raised, and last year that amount increased to $1,200.

"We haven't put as much effort into the event as we should have," Kotob said.

"Virginia Tech has over 20,000 students, and that solidarity should be there."

In the past, the event has had 70 to 100 participants, and this year the committee is looking for at least 200.

With hopes set high, a goal has been set to raise $5,000.

Each participating student will be asked to donate $5 or more to the cause, and local businesses will contribute amounts of their choosing.

Each year, the money raised is donated to the Blacksburg Interfaith Food Pantry, but this year Kotob is hoping they can hand over more than just a check.

Kotob saw the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday as a perfect opportunity for the fast, allowing her and other participants to restock shelves and hopefully become more involved with the pantry in the future.

"We have professors losing their jobs and students that aren't aware of the number of hungry people in the area," she said. "They need to know and we need to help."

Fredda Cromer, director of Blacksburg Interfaith Food Pantry, said she is always looking for volunteers, especially when large quantities of food come in. The need for manual labor is there, she said.

In September, Cromer saw more than 700 people visit the food pantry. In 2008, the pantry averaged 585 customers a month, a 15 percent jump from the previous year. Twelve new families registered at the pantry in September, and 10 have already been added this month.

Donations at the pantry have been picking up because of support by Tech fraternities and sororities and clubs at Blacksburg High School.

Cromer also said people are bringing in garden goods such as potatoes and tomatoes, but she is still looking for more canned food donations.

"At the beginning of September, we were extremely low on canned goods," she said. "Fortunately, they're starting to come in, but we're always in need for more."

Each week, staple items are purchased for the pantry such as toilet paper, sugar and laundry detergent. The more expensive items, such as canned meats, are usually sparse.

Kotob said the fast-a-thon event committee is turning to their new Web site to help spread the word about the fast. The site is filled with information on the event and a blog where participants can share thoughts and information.

On the day of the fast, participants will go without food and water from 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., a ritual that Kotob said is practiced by many faiths. They'll then proceed to go about their normal day, incorporating the fast into their schedules.

"People who are hungry have to go on with their lives," Kotob said. "And so will we."

At 5:30 p.m., the fast will conclude with a huge dinner and guest speakers, including Cromer.

Kotob will graduate next spring and is hopeful the event will go further and further each year.

"We want our volunteers to become empathetic instead of sympathetic toward others," she said. "The goal is to get students involved across all faiths."

Online: hungryhokies.wordpress.com