By Averi Cummins

Members of Students Taking Action Globally spent part of their weekend supporting the fight against world hunger and spreading awareness of the issue across campus.

Students in STAG fasted for 30 hours starting Friday at midnight and ending at 6 a.m. Saturday, and collected canned goods outside of Kroger on Saturday.

The organization raised about $200 for the Kentucky Academy and filled almost five bins with cans to donate to God’s Pantry Food Bank, said sophomore Megan Bowling, coordinator of the 30-hour fast.

Students who participated were encouraged to raise at least $30 — one dollar for each hour they fasted. Students who raised at least $10 were invited to a pancake breakfast Saturday after the fast.

Bowling said the vision of the group is to educate campus and Lexington on issues that people may not be aware of. She said it is hard for people to relate to international issues if the issues do not directly affect them.

“Personally, I was motivated to put on this event because I wanted people to realize how much this issue affects their community — and the whole world in a larger perspective,” Bowling said.

Philosophy junior Stacey Sindlinger is a new member of STAG and participated in the fast for the first time.

“I was excited to participate, but once I started to get hungry, I started to debate how long I would actually last,” Sindlinger said. “But knowing there are so many people suffering from hunger daily motivated me to push through the pain and I did it, and it was for a good cause.”

Family studies senior Barrett Gargala participated in the fast for the second time and said students did everything to keep their minds off of food.

“We couldn’t wait for the breakfast, but we were all determined to make it,” Gargala said.