Hunger Banquet: What to Know

This year’s Hunger Banquet is fast approaching, and very overlooked. Many students around the school don’t even know what Hunger Banquet is or where the money raised is given. Here is some beginner information to learn really what goes on at the Hunger Banquet. 

Each year, the Interact Club holds a Hunger Banquet to go to the Rotary Club of Ybor. Interact is the high school version of Rotary Club. Each year the Rotary Club funds an international project and for the past few years, they have chosen Seeds of Hope. Seeds of Hope is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate, provide medical care, economic opportunities, and job assistance to needy families and children in La Victoria, Dominican Republic. Academy’s Chemistry teacher, Rebecca Zambrano, is on the Board of Directors and one of the founders the organization. 

The Hunger Banquet itself is an interactive dinner to educate participants on the global dynamics of food distribution and how they lead to hunger in different areas of the world. The idea originated from Oxfam International, an international confederation of charitable organizations focused on the alleviation of global poverty. 

At the banquet, each person is given a card to determine which country they are from and what food they will be eating. People who get the first world meal receive an Italian dinner, any drink they wish, and a decorative dessert. Second world gets a plate with rice and beans with the choice of lemonade or water. Third world is just given cooked rice with no option other than water. The intent of this draw is to highlight the luck of being born into a first world country rather than into a third world country. 

Jenna Wiley, Co-President of Interact Club, says, “Each year we have a silent auction and raffle to raise more money, and this year we have some pretty awesome things that people can win.” 

On January 26, 2017, Academy will hold its annual Hunger Banquet in the Brady Center North. The ticket is $5 per person that can be purchased from any Interact Club member or missionary for the Dominican Republic. Last year, the Interact Club raised around $3,000 from the event and this year they have a goal of $4,000. 

Interact Co-President Liz Benjamin says, “$5 is a small price to end world hunger,” encouraging people to come out and support this year.