Some people will leave the Brigham Young University Hunger Banquet still hungry. The event, scheduled for Thursday and Saturday, March 4 and 6, at 6 p.m. in the Wilkinson Student Center Ballroom, serves dinner with a twist.
All attendees are divided into groups that represent different income levels. According to the random grouping, participants will eat a high-, middle- or low-income dinner in an attempt to raise awareness of hunger in different parts of the world.
Tickets for the event are $8 and are available at the WSC Information Desk. The event is hosted by BYU’s Students for International Development, which has been sponsoring the event for 20 years.
Peter Carroll, co-president of SID, said people attending shouldn’t be surprised if they’re still hungry after the event.
“People need to know buying the ticket doesn’t ensure a full meal, and that this is a fundraising event,” Carroll said. “The funds raised at the event go to various nongovernmental organizations. Last year the Hunger Banquet raised $15,500. This year, our goal is $19,000.”
Along with the Hunger Banquet, participants will learn about opportunities to help alleviate hunger and poverty. The event will also feature an internship fair with organizations offering international internships promoting international development. There will also be live entertainment and a guest speaker.
“In most of our circumstances, we’ve won the lottery at birth because of the zip code we were born into,” Carroll said. “We’re not trying to make people feel guilty. We’re trying to help them see human dignity and ways that they can help. People have value regardless of their financial situations.”
SID will also be celebrating the Hunger Banquet with a creative arts display Feb. 22-March 6.
Participants were asked to portray the theme “Celebrate Human Dignity” through their choice of medium to encourage painters, sculptors, and photographers as well as writers, producers, and musicians to get involved in international development and poverty alleviation.
The display will be located in the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies in the Herald R. Clark Building on campus.
For more information on the event or ways to help, contact Amy McDonald at (435) 862-6509.
Writer: Brandon Garrett
