VIDALIA — The dozen students gathered around the flagpole at Vidalia High School Wednesday morning were there for a cause, but they weren’t protesting — they were praying.

The students were participating in what has become a yearly event for many Christian students nationwide, See You at the Pole.

During the event, students stand around their school flagpoles, pray for their school and sing hymns.

Junior Hunter Thornton, 17, commended his fellow students with a verse from the New Testament, 1 Timothy 4:12, which says, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

The verse had an application for those present, Thornton said.

“We can’t let anyone look down on us because we are youth,” he said. “You look in the Bible, and there were 8-year-old kings. Don’t think we can’t do great things because we are youth.”

As morning rush traffic barreled by on the highway and school busses let loads of students off beside them, the students bowed their heads and prayed for a productive school year, that students and teachers would come to know Christ and that they would have the ability to lead holy lives.

Freshman Miranda Gonzales, 13, said she attended the prayer rally because prayer is always needed.

“Since the whole world seems to be moving away from God, this seems to be a good start for the young people,” she said.

“We are just praying God will give us the fire.”

Freshman Elizabeth Cupit, 14, said she thought the event provided a good chance for Christian teens to take a stand for their faith.

“People can see us and know we know God, and know we can help them with any problems they have,” she said.

“We need to be bold and be able to walk into a circle and pray.”

Calvary Baptist Church Youth Minister Jack Middleton said that, while he was present at the gathering, the event was student-led and student-initiated.

“This isn’t my event,” he said. “I am just here to say, ‘Good job.’”