A just-released film being shown in high schools, colleges, and universities across the United States and Canada has put the spotlight on the town of Collegedale.
“GO!” is the story of students who went into the heart of Africa in answer to the question, “How far would you go?” In the summer of 2007, Collegedale Academy students Amanda Mitchell and Travis Pyke travelled to northern Uganda with the humanitarian organization Invisible Children. This new film produced by Invisible Children is coming to Collegedale SDA Church on Tuesday, Nov. 11, at 8 pm.
This all began when a fire swept through Collegedale Academy in April 2007 – a fire of compassion. Students responded to the situation in northern Uganda that they saw revealed in the film “Rough Cut” by Invisible Children which tells the story of children fearing abduction or escaping from abduction by the rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army which brainwashes and brutalizes children, forcing them to kill or be killed.
CA students responded with fund- and awareness-raising activities that included everything from their 24-hour walkathon (organized by Travis who himself walked 80 miles) to letters and visits to government officials (Amanda organized a visit with Zach Wamp). When they went with IC to Uganda along with 18 other students from all over the U.S. in the summer of 2007, Travis and Amanda had no idea that Collegedale Academy and the town of Collegedale would be featured so in prominently in the film “GO!” that came out of this trip. Amanda narrates much of the film, and the story of her friendship with Gloria, a Ugandan girl who opens up her heart and life to Amanda, is a major story in the film.
Representatives from the organization who have been on a three-month tour are coming through Collegedale and will be putting on this program along with the local students of Collegedale Academy and Southern Adventist University.