Event to benefit Invisible Children

Event to benefit Invisible ChildrenApril 27, 2007

By MELISSA LIMMERStaff writer

On Saturday afternoon, a large group of Baylor students will make a trip down to Austin.

However, this is no typical weekend getaway -- these students are going to Austin hoping to make a difference.

They will attend "Displace Me," held by Invisible Children from 3 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday. The purpose of this nationwide event, being held in 15 cities from Orlando to Seattle, is to draw attention to the civil war in Uganda.

Baylor students who are interested in attending will meet at the Ferrell Special Events Center parking lot at 12:45 p.m. and can carpool to Austin.

"We are expecting hopefully at least a couple hundred (students)," Waco coordinator and Kingwood sophomore Kaley Eggers said.

Eggers also said anyone could attend, not just students.

In Austin, participants will camp out overnight at the Travis County Expo Center in a simulation of the conditions of the displaced Ugandans who are forced to live in makeshift camps because of the civil war that continues to ravage the country.

Everyone attending the event is asked to bring a cardboard box, saltines and water.

The water and saltines will be taken up and redistributed, just like food in the camps in Uganda.

"(Invisible Children) wanted to bring people together to get more attention and simulate the displacement camps that are the focus of the event," said Russell Millican, Austin coordinator for "Displace Me."
Millican said the displacement camps are "one of the worst effects of the war."

Besides camping out, Invisible Children movies will be shown, and one of the young Ugandan boys from the original Invisible Children video will be speaking. There also will be a letter writing campaign to United States government officials on behalf of the people of Uganda.
Russell said the event will be similar to the Global Night Commute that Invisible Children hosted last year.

This year they wanted to have the event in fewer locations in larger cities to create "a stronger voice and experience."

"We want to show our government that we care about the people in Uganda, and show the people in Uganda that we care about them," Eggers said.

Overall, Eggers expressed hope that the event would "give people a perspective" and bring awareness to the plight of the Ugandan people.
Russell said so far, 58,000 people nationwide are signed up nationwide to attend the event.

As of Thursday afternoon, Austin had the fourth-largest number of participants with 4,043 people signed up to attend.
Nacogdoches freshman Hunter Chambers is one of the many Baylor students planning to attend.

"I think it is really important because, especially in America and in the youth culture of America, we are not encouraged necessarily to think outside ourselves," he said. "Whenever you can be involved in something that is greater than you, I think it can be a really great experience."
Eggers agreed that students especially have a special voice in bringing awareness about the situation in Uganda.

"We, especially at Baylor, have been blessed so much," she said. "This is just one opportunity to help people who are less fortunate than we are."