Sixty-thousand Canadian teens go hungry to raise money and hunger awareness

As Canadians flock to movie theatres across the country for the much-anticipated Hunger Games motion picture release this weekend, more than 60,000 teens are preparing to go hungry to raise money and hunger awareness as part of World Vision's 30 Hour Famine, the largest teen hunger awareness campaign in the world.  While The Hunger Games reflects a dystopian fantasy of a world of injustice and poverty, in the real world, millions of people will go hungry tonight.

But young people across Canada are doing something about it.

An estimated 60,000 Canadian teens will do the 30 Hour Famine between now and April 27, 28. Teens go without food for 30 hours to get a taste of what real hunger feels like, and raise money to fight issues children face in poverty. Teens consume only water and juice as they participate in group events like sleepovers, movie screenings, concert and local community service projects. Last year's 30 Hour Famine raised more than $3 million to fight hunger. This year's goal is $3.6 million.

Hunger facts:

• There are more than 900 million malnourished people in the world.
• More than 20,000 children die each day from hunger and preventable causes. Chronic poverty is the main reason for this.
• Funds raised this year for 30 Hour Famine will support World Vision's long-term development work in countries around the world, to lift children and families out of poverty.