UF students willing to fast from sunrise to sunset Thursday will be rewarded with a feast.
Islam on Campus, the student-based Islamic organization, will host its biggest event, Fast-A-Thon, at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Doors open at 6 p.m.
This year will be the 12th annual Fast-A-Thon, and about 800 to 900 people are expected to occupy the O’Connell Center, said Sohaib Ahmad, president of Islam on Campus.
After a long day of fasting, attendees can feast with food catered by Golden Dynasty of Orlando.
Fast-A-Thon gives members of Islam on Campus and UF students the opportunity to donate money to charity groups that assist communities worldwide.
Ahmad, a UF biology senior, said Islam on Campus chose Islamic Relief USA and, local women’s empowerment nonprofit, Radiant Hands, to receive this year’s donations.
Fast-A-Thon is based around the Islamic practice of fasting, where people eat and drink before the sun rises and abstain from all food and liquids until the sun sets.
“Fast-A-Thon encourages a powerful state of being,” Zachary Pindar, a 20-year-old UF health science junior said. “It heightens your senses and teaches you how to fight temptation.”
Terje Ostebo, an assistant religion professor at UF, has attended Islam on Campus meetings.
“This organization caters to the community, and it is striving to create network that houses a brotherhood and sisterhood for young Muslims,” Ostebo said.
Nazmi Ahmed, a UF sustainability studies junior, said Islam on Campus provides her with a sense of belonging and has brought her closer to her Islamic faith.
“I attended one event out of curiosity, and the members made me feel a sense of genuine hospitality and community,” Ahmed, 20, said.
Ahmad, 22, said he has been working diligently with his colleagues to ensure a successful turnout for Fast-A-Thon.
“If you don’t know much about Islam, come out to Fast-A-Thon to learn about it,” he said. “You may be surprised with what you discover.”
[A version of this story ran on page 9 on 10/3/2014]
