The Student News Site of Weber State University

The Signpost

The Signpost

The Signpost

The Signpost

Latest YouTube Video

WSU marketing students host 'Catching Fire' premiere for Ghana

What’s $20 to a Wildcat? At Weber State University, it could mean a date night for two to see the premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.” In Ghana, it could mean the lifesaving treatment of a toddler dying from malaria.

What began as a school project for a group of marketing students at WSU has become a full-blown mission to bring medical education to people in Ghana. The objective is to give the Ghanaians not only the supplies required to properly treat medical situations, but an education that will prove to be sustainable and resonate with future generations.

The screening of “Catching Fire” presented by Charity Beyond Borders will be at 7 p.m. on Nov. 21.

“The event is to increase awareness and also raise donations for the charity,” said Casey Jensen, a senior in marketing.

The collaborative screening of “Catching Fire” will consist of a giveaway of two iPad Minis and a night’s stay at a hotel.

All proceeds from this specific event will go to shipping a 40-foot container with medical and educational supplies to Ghana.

Jensen said the program started working with Charity Beyond Borders as a school project for one of its marketing classes. They created an in-depth marketing plan, staged an appearance on popular social media platforms and created a website for the nonprofit. Jensen said they also created a website where people could go for information on Charity Beyond Borders’ efforts in Ghana and make donations.

The group provides different forms of health education for children who wouldn’t otherwise receive it.

“Their main priority is to educate and to help — not just to give Ghana supplies and stuff, but to educate them to be able to improve their health and situation on their own,” Jensen said.

Many of the hospitals and medical workers in Ghana haven’t received formal training in the basic principles behind treatment, education and prevention. As a result, the medical services they can offer are limited. Charity Beyond Borders is involved in educating Ghanaian people in health education and providing those essential supplies, such as respiratory machines and basic hygiene kits.

Senior Spencer Boyce, a features reporter with The Signpost, went to Ghana with Charity Beyond Borders last year, and that’s how the group became involved with the nonprofit.

“We went from having this be a school project to it’s kind of our thing now,” Jensen said. “After we hold the event and do everything we need for the project for school, we’re going to continue to move forward with them.” He explained the extent of the work they’ll continue to provide the nonprofit, “helping them with marketing, promoting more events, so we’ve taken it on ourselves to push it past just having a school class. Now this is something that we’re going to be doing for quite a long time.”

Charity Beyond Borders hopes to help Ghanaians be able to sustain themselves with education and proper medical supplies.

“It’s kind of like the old saying ‘If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day; teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime,'” said Tyler Frew, a marketing major collaborating with Charity Beyond Borders. “They’re actually teaching them how to take care of themselves a little bit better and to be little bit more informed about germs, disease, hygiene, things like that.”

Frew encouraged other Wildcats to try volunteering in their community. “It’s taught me about intrinsic motivation,” he said. “There’s something about it that motivates you to do good things.”

Tickets and more information on Charity Beyond Borders are available at http://www.charitybeyondborders.org/events/.

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

Comments written below are solely the opinions of the author and does not reflect The Signpost staff or its affiliates.
All The Signpost Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *