Wed 2 Feb 2011 In: Hall of Fame View at Wayback View at NDHA
Many people will be switching wine for water this month Two GayNZ.com contributors are taking part in a challenge to give up alcohol for the entire month of February. Febfast is an initiative designed to give bodies and wallets a rest after the festive season, while raising money for charities which help youth who have drug and alcohol problems. FebFast Coordinator Catherine Milburn says some people will find it easy to go a month without drinking alcohol, but others will find it challenging. "I know some people definitely had to take a deep breath before signing up," she says. "I really admire everyone who's taking part. It's not an easy thing to give up if you enjoy a few drinks with mates or a glass of wine with dinner. "Some people are doing it because they want to see how much money they can save in February by not drinking while others want to shed a few excess kilos or focus more on healthy living. Whatever the reasons, the result will be some extra funds for organisations working with at-risk young people, and that's fantastic." Team Dan News members Dan News and Andrew Grear tell us why they are taking part and how hard they think the challenge will be. Dan News: Dan News I first heard about FebFast when ambassador Jay-Jay Feeney laid down the challenge for me to participate, I had a look at what it's all about and jumped straight in. Excessive drinking has become a very visible problem in New Zealand in my opinion. From bars in the viaduct, to K Road, and I'm sure it's the same in towns across the country. I'm hoping more people will join 'Team Dan News' or throw some donations our way. I'd love to be one of the top fundraising teams come the end of February. Anyone considering taking part, remember you can buy a "pass out" which entitles you to drink on one particular day such as the Big Gay Out. This will be particularly handy for me since my birthday is in February! But at the end of the day, the more we can help these organisations help others, the better. I'm not sure how hard I will find it, I'd like to think it won't be too much of a challenge, but that is part of the experience. It is quite common for me to catch up with friends over a drink, so I will just have to find my non-alcoholic beverage of choice. Andrew Grear: Andrew Grear I heard about FebFast last year when I stumbled across the Australian website for it and am pleased to see NZ taking part in it this year. I'm taking part for a variety of reasons, it never hurts to take a break from drinking, it's raising money for a good cause and out of solidarity for my favoured drinking buddy. I don't think I will struggle with it but it's not a secret that I'm partial to a glass or two of wine and there will be occasions I will wish I could indulge but at the end of the day I'll remain resolute for the entire month. There is a definite drinking culture in the gay community and in NZ as a whole and while I can't say I'm not guilty of over-indulging every once in a while I think it never hurts to be aware of your drinking habits and learn to say no occasionally. I would love to see more people get involved and use it as an opportunity to see that alcohol isn't needed for a good time. It would be great if people joined Team Dan News or donated to the cause, we've raised a decent amount so far but would love to raise more throughout the month. Join or donate: http://www.febfastfundraising.co.nz/team_dan_news It's not too late to sign up for FebFast. You can sign up right through February and and provide sponsorship or donations through to the end of March. Visit www.febfast.org.nz for more information about how to register, who the ambassadors are and where the money raised will be going. Jacqui Stanford - 2nd February 2011