By Hannah Lilienthal
For Bethany Fristad ’13, the path to becoming a Newman Civic Fellow started with soccer balls, baby dolls and a “burning passion” to serve others.
“Ever since I was young, I just knew that there was a burning passion inside of me,” said Fristad, of Sartell, Minn. “It’s hard to explain, because I feel like no one gets it, but one day I just realized that it was time to do something. I was letting my life pass me by. I just wanted to do something significant.”
So Fristad created Firefleyes in December 2009 “to bring hope and joy to children living in impoverished communities by providing them with small treasures that will bring a glimmer of light back into their lives.”
Those “small treasures” initially were soccer balls and baby dolls Fristad collected and sent to communities in Sierra Leone on the Atlantic Coast of western Africa. The scope of her work has since expanded.
For her efforts, Fristad was named one of Campus Compact’s 160 Newman Civic Fellows who “are making the most of their college experiences to better understand themselves, the root causes of social issues, and effective mechanisms for creating lasting change.”
The award is named for Dr. Frank Newman, a founder of Campus Compact, a national coalition of college and university presidents committed to the civic purposes of higher education.
Fristad said the unique spelling of Firefleyes — “Lighting fire in hearts worldwide” — is derived from Proverbs 24:12, “Once our eyes are opened we can’t pretend we don’t know what to do. God who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act.”
She partnered with Regina Rigney, a 2009 graduate of Belmont University in Nashville and youth director who learned about Firefleyes at a youth conference three days after its inception.
They subsequently teamed up, raised funds and went to Sierra Leone. After their first visit, Fristad realized the need to do more than she had originally envisioned.
“How do I tell the story?” she asked on her blog at www.firefleyes.org. “How do I begin to tell you about baby Mabinty who I held in the hospital during her last breaths, how her mother could not afford her blood transfusion so she was out on the streets trying to find money. I paid for her transfusion — 30 dollars. Is she still alive? Probably not.”
Firefleyes has donated more than 600 soccer balls and baby dolls, given formula to children’s hospitals, held talent shows in orphanages and distributed more than 200 water filters in slum areas of Africa.
“It’s just the little things,” Fristad said. “When I see that something needs to be done, I just do it.”
Fristad, a communication arts major with an emphasis on public relations and social entrepreneurship, raised funds and awareness for Firefleyes during the Mr. Wartburg competition last winter.
“I need Wartburg students to support me by being advocates,” she said. “Bring in soccer balls and baby dolls, tell people about the need for clean water, do a fundraiser, and spread the mission of Firefleyes around to whomever you can.”
Wartburg President Dr. Darrel Colson nominated Fristad at the behest of the Community Center of Engagement. CCE Director Dan Kittle called her work “especially noteworthy” because of its reach off campus.
“I’m really humbled,” Fristad said. “For me it’s my responsibility to do it. It doesn’t make me any more special than the next person. It’s just something I’m supposed to do.”
Her ultimate goal for Firefleyes is to open a performing arts academy in Africa and other countries as a refuge from the terrible living conditions people face.
She also wants to focus on providing clean water.
“This whole journey has been unbelievable,” Fristad said. “It amazes me that God chose me to go on this journey. It’s so humbling.”