Connecticut Writing Project and the Fairfield University Writing Center host Writing Marathon to raise money for the homeless children of New Orleans | Press Releases

The Connecticut Writing Project at Fairfield University and the University's Writing Center will host "Writing up a Storm," a writing marathon to raise money for the homeless children of New Orleans.

The marathon, which will take place Sunday, Oct. 2, from 1 to 4 p.m., will start at Fairfield University's Alumni House, where participants will receive maps and ideas for writing. Small groups will then wander about the University or the town, spending an hour or so whenever they think they might like to write. The writing is shared, and then the groups move on to a new spot. The marathon ends with pizza and an open mike reading back at Alumni House.

The idea for the writing marathon comes from Richard Louth, the director of the Southeastern Louisiana Writing Project, who has been organizing marathons in New Orleans for the last decade, said Faye Gage, director of the Connecticut Writing Project at Fairfield University. National Writing Project sites around the country are using "writing (s)crawls" to raise funds to help students displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

The suggested donation for "Writing up a Storm" is $25; $15 for students and seniors. Donations will go directly to the Louisiana Association for the Education of Homeless Children. To register, please call (203) 254-4000, ext. 3124 or e-mail Lawton at cwp@mail.fairfield.edu .