Frat tackles hunger

Last Sunday’s Super Bowl didn’t have much drama late in the game, as the Seattle Seahawks dominated the Denver Broncos for their first Vince Lombardi Trophy. But prior to kickoff, there was plenty of drama at Adelphi University as about 50 Kappa Sigma fraternity brothers were wrapping up their 24-hour fast for charity.

The event, which began on Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. and ended 24 hours later, was Kappa Sigma’s eighth annual Super Hungerfest. The fraternity brothers did not eat for a full day as a way to raise awareness of hunger issues on Long Island. The only things they could consume were clear liquids. They also collected non-perishable food items over the weekend. All of the money raised and food collected was donated to Island Harvest, Long Island’s largest hunger relief organization.

Michael Manzo, the fraternity’s chapter president, is a Valley Stream native in his senior year at Adelphi. He joined Kappa Sigma in the spring of 2012 and participated in last year’s Super Hungerfest event as well. “It’s tough,” Manzo said of his first 24-hour fast. “It’s a lot harder than I imagined.”

This time around he knew what to expect, but said it wasn’t any easier. “It was very difficult,” Manzo said. “I was very hungry. I had IHOP as my last meal and it did not fill me up for the 24 hours.”

He and his brothers drank a lot of water and stayed busy while they couldn’t eat, he said. On Feb. 2, they went to towns around Long Island collecting non-perishable items for about six hours. There were also collection bins in residence halls and an option to donate online. Manzo said he appreciated the event more this year as opposed to last year because he saw how much work went into organizing it.

About 60 to 70 people attended a kickoff event, which featured music performances and a presentation from Island Harvest. Manzo, who attended Holy Name of Mary School and Kellenberg High School, said the relationship between Kappa Sigma and Island Harvest has been strong for years.