More ‘Super Bowl Shuffle’ would help the Hungry

One of my Super Bowl memories growing up in Massachusetts was when the New England Patriots played the mighty Chicago Bears in 1986. The Bears were considered one of the best teams ever and the Patriots made a surprise run to victory in the AFC playoffs.

Before the teams took to the field they had a different sort of competition: Super Bowl music videos. The Bears did "The Super Bowl Shuffle" while up in New England they aired the video "New England, the Patriots and We." The Bears won the Super Bowl convincingly and the video contest.

Years later I found out that “The Super Bowl Shuffle” raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to feed the hungry. The Patriots video also raised money for charity. Both videos proved a success in the most important way.

This is the kind of Super Bowl media we need more of, that inspires action against hunger and poverty.

The Super Bowl could help out the Confederation of African Football which is trying to raise awareness of the war and hunger in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

This is a massive conflict taking place in the D.R. Congo, a nation in Central Africa that is three times bigger than Texas. In the eastern part of the D.R. Congo there is fighting between rebel groups and Congolese forces. The struggle for power and resources fuels more violence.

The tragedy of this war takes its toll on the civilians. There are over 6 million people displaced within the D.R. Congo. Farmers have been forced to abandon their lands because of the fighting. Crops cannot grow and hunger worsens.

There are over 25 million people living in severe hunger in the D.R. Congo. Small children are at risk of deadly malnutrition.

But what makes the crisis even worse is the lack of international donations. Funding for the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) has been so low they cannot reach everyone in need throughout the D.R. Congo. The WFP needs over $500 million this year for the D.R. Congo.

The Confederation of African Football recently set up a festival at the Bulengo camp for displaced people in North Kivu of the D.R. Congo. This gave kids, who have suffered from this conflict, a chance to play in football matches. These kids have dreams just like kids in the U.S. of playing in sports.

But so many kids in the D.R. Congo are lost to war and hunger. If somehow the cycle of violence could be broken, if hope could replace desperation, then maybe the country could be saved.

If communities could concentrate on farming instead of war, that could steer the country in the right direction. School meals, nutrition and learning should be what children in the D.R. Congo have every day.

You can help this peace plan by supporting WFP and other relief agencies so they get the funding for the D.R. Congo. Write a letter to your elected officials about making fighting world hunger a priority.

The more people are aware of the hunger in the D.R. Congo, the more will help. In the spirit of “The Super Bowl Shuffle,” the NFL could use its media power to raise awareness of the crisis in the D.R. Congo.

William Lambers is an author who partnered with the U.N. World Food Program on the book “Ending World Hunger.“