Last modified: Sunday, April 19, 2009 1:59 PM EDT Tom Maguire‘Purple potty’ Second Congregational Church minister, the Rev. Vernon Wright, admires the new addition to his front yard, a purple potty, which was left in front of his Attleboro home last month at the start of a fundraiser by the church’s youth group as part of next weekend’s fast to raise money to fight hunger. City church youth to fast to beat hunger BY JOSEPH S. SIEGEL FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE ATTLEBORO - A youth group at the Second Congregational Church will be fasting for 30 hours from next weekend to raise money to fight world hunger. "We challenge our youth every year," said Susan Janson, one of the event's organizers and the church's youth group leader. Last year the fundraising goal was $2,100. In the end, $2,500 was raised. The seventh annual event kicked off March 21 when participants painted a toilet purple and placed it in the yard of the Rev. Vernon Wright. "Purple potty insurance policies" were sold to the members of the congregation to assure them it would not be put in their front yards. If it does end up in their yard, they have to pay a fee for it to be removed. Families from the church who don't want the purple potty placed in their front yards can purchase policies that range in price from $5 to $30. The 15 children and sixth youth group leaders will begin their fast at noon on Friday, April 24 and will conclude their fast at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 25. The participants will sleep at the church during that period. A potluck dinner will be provided at the conclusion. Janson said many of the participants have been doing the fast for years. The majority are middle and high school age. Precautions are taken in case a child has a medical condition or has difficulty with the fast. "We always have crackers on hand, and the kids always get a glass of water or juice every hour," said Janson. "If they can't go for the 30 hours without food, then they tend to try to go without something else. They'll kind of improvise." The children reflect on the starving people throughout the world and recite prayers during the fast. Janson said they enjoy the closeness and spirituality of the event. "If you ask our kids, especially the older ones, what's the best part of youth group, they love the 30-hour famine," Janson noted. "They enjoy it." JOSEPH S. SIEGEL, a freelance writer for The Sun Chronicle, can be reached at joesiegel@cox.net.