Orlando, Fla. -- Local youth minister Sean Frenier held an event at First Christian Church of Orlando on Sunday, July 16 to gather supporters for the Invisible Children foundation.

Invisible Children was a foundation started by three young filmmakers who traveled to Africa in 2003 in search of a story, and learned of Joseph Kony's rebel war in Uganda for which he captures children and uses them as soldiers. The young filmmakers have since started a movement that has picked up many supporters across the globe.

Frenier has been an avid supporter of the Invisible Children since he learned of the foundation in 2005. He regularly shows promotional videos for the project to his students, and is always looking for ways to get them to become supporters themselves.

"Each year I try to hold a gathering like this to get youth involved in the cause," said Frenier. "I teach them about it and then I take them on a trip to participate in the campaigns."

Campaigns held for the Invisible Children foundation in the past have consisted of people in various cities across the United States sleeping in the streets, camping in cardboard boxes for 24 hours with only water and crackers to eat and staying up all night to write letters to various political figures asking for their help.

"I've been with the youth group to two of the campaigns so far," said Josie Markel, a high school student who attends the church regularly.

"It's definitely a great cause to get behind," said Beth Tyson, an adult visitor from Port St. Lucie. "I'd certainly love to see an agreement of peace be reached. Especially since children are involved in the war."

"It's hard for me to think of any child having to suffer through anything at all, so I think that Invisible Children is something that everyone should care about," said Frenier. "Especially the youth. If you get them to care about something like this at their age, maybe it will help them to care about other important things when their older."

To learn more about Invisible Children visit http://www.invisiblechildren.com/.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Michelle Burdo from FOX35 spoke to a class of Valencia Community College students on Friday, July 22 about the joys and hardships of being in the business of journalism.

"What are you willing to give up," said Burdo to the gathered students as she spoke of her own rise to the business, which wasn't easy.

Detailing instances where she'd once lived in a renovated garage, lost a fiance and made a yearly income of only $17,500 when she first started in the business, Burdo didn't sugarcoat the life of an individual who was just coming up in the business of journalism.

When the recount of her rise to success started to sound like a large clump of hardships, Burdo launched into her favorite side of the business - the emotional side.

The best interviews are the ones down with a family who has just gone through something tramatic, said Burdo as she recounted two of her favorites.

"You feel such intense responsibility to tell this story well," said Burdo of the emotionally pressing stories which she said at times are hard to hear. How families are able to survive in the midst of chaos is the news that she is most interested in telling.

"You have a few minutes to weave a small story into something with an impact," said Burdo of broadcast journalism, which is her niche. She added that broadcast journalism is her favorite over print because visually presenting a story is easier for her than writing one.

The main idea of Burdo's lesson was for one to know that journalism is what they want to do when they decide to join it because it can be a very difficult business to rise into, though there are rewarding benefits to finding one's place in the business as well.

WINTER PARK, Fla. – Alex Hayes, 20, spends most of his evenings on the weekends playing his guitar on the various corners of Park Avenue.

Hayes, a tall young man with fiery red hair, takes song requests from onlookers who stop to admire his talent, leave a tip and sometimes sing along to the music.

“He’s out here almost every weekend,” said Johnny French. “He’s really talented.”

“I’ve never seen him out here before, but he’s great,” said Anthony Marino, before adding that he’ll likely come back another time to watch.

That seemed to be a sentiment shared by quite a few people as many stopped to listen and shout out song requests. 

"Freebird," a passing teenager shouted from across the street, a request that Hayes immediately played, eliciting a few cheers from his listeners.

Hayes, who many of the listeners that he calls “regulars” refer to as carrot top, played music by bands such as the Goo Goo Dolls, Coldplay and Matchbox 20.

“I’ve been playing the guitar since I was about 9,” said Hayes of his musical background. “It’s something that I love to do, but I don’t think that I would do it as a job. I’m afraid that I wouldn’t appreciate it the same.”

Hayes lives nearby with his family while he’s taking time off from college, and he just likes to come out to Park Avenue to play when his weekend is “slow.”

“I just like to play,” Paris said. “I love music, and I like to play it at home, so I figured why not do it out here?”

"Hidden Garden Singer"

WINTER PARK, Fla. – Veteran jazz coverer Shawn Paris spends every Friday and Saturday night performing for nearby store and restaurant patrons as well as passerby in the Hidden Garden on Park Avenue.

Singing various songs by classic artists such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Louis Armstrong, Paris hits all of the right notes with onlookers who take the time to leave a tip as they come and go.

“He’s very entertaining,” said Judy, an observer in the garden. “He’s got a soothing and attractive voice. Almost like velvet.”

Judy’s daughter, who asked not to be named, added that the venue has a very “scenic, European feel; perfect for a summer night out.”

That seemed to be a feeling common to quite a few people as many stopped by the Hidden Garden to take a seat on nearby benches for a listen or to ask their significant other for a dance. Even a few young children stopped to break out their ballet moves to a cover of Frank Sinatra’s 1958 classic “Come Fly With Me.”

“I’ve actually been a professional singer since I was 12,” Paris said. “I used to sing with a 20-piece band, but I like the one on one interaction with my audience when I’m performing alone.”

The reason that Paris chooses to perform jazz covers rather than songs from any other genre is because it’s not only the music that he listens to on his own, but because it “takes people back to the simple life; before the internet and TV got in the way of things.”

“Jazz also seems to be coming back,” Paris said of the genre. “People like Michael Buble are really bringing it back to a younger audience...performing this music is like a dream to me.”

For examples of Shawn Paris’ musical talent, visit his myspace page at http://myspace.com/shawnchristopherparis