A host of University of Delaware student organizations combined their efforts to help produce "A Night to Unite," a benefit concert and raffle for the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund that took place Monday, Sept. 24, at the Stone Balloon.

Thanks to the generosity of Newark businesses and the dedication of students, a donation of $12,500 was made to the American Red Cross to help the victims of the Sept. 11 tragedy.

According to Delaware Undergraduate Student Congress (DUSC) vice president Cara Spiro, "A Night to Unite" was a collaborative effort, with many campus groups coming together to plan the event.

In the days immediately after Sept. 11, Spiro said, she repeatedly received e-mails from various students asking if DUSC or any other campus group was going to organize a relief effort. "Everyone wanted to do something to help," she said, "and it seemed it wasn't wise to have 40 different groups doing 40 different events."

The benefit concert was decided upon during a hastily assembled organizational meeting on Friday, Sept. 14, after which student representatives took off across the community to drum up support for the event. Of the concert idea, Spiro said, "We didn't want a somber event. [The tragedy] was a lesson we have to learn from and take with us, but we can't let [the terrorists] keep us down."

With tremendous support from the Newark community, by the afternoon of Monday, Sept. 17, the students already had three bands confirmed to play (a fourth would be added later) and more than 40 sponsors from Main Street businesses.

Items donated for the raffle included jewelry, gift certificates and baskets, a variety of free rentals and various other goods and services. Retailers Unique Impressions and A Lasting Impression combined efforts to produce "A Night to Unite" T-shirts for the student volunteers. The Stone Balloon volunteered the use of its space for free.

On the night of the concert, students 18 and over gave a minimum donation of $5 and enjoyed donated food and non-alcoholic drinks, as well as performances by Gravity's Daughter, Mercy River, John Faye Power Trip and Burnt Sienna. Despite a deluge of rain and tornado warnings, nearly 550 students turned out.

"They walked in drenched," Spiro said. "You could see that people were really passionate and they really cared."

Late in the evening, the lead singer of Burnt Sienna called all student workers to the stage for a singing of the national anthem. "You could see the American pride and all the effort," Spiro said. "The bands were so supportive."

Nearly $3,600 was raised that evening, a sum that was matched by a donation from the Resident Student Association. Klondike Kate's had also allowed donations to be collected at its popular Quizzo night, and the restaurant then matched the donated funds with its own contribution. Several other Newark businesses, including Donna's Delights, Lettuce Feed You, Flavor and the Jewelry Studio, pledged portions of their Sept. 24 proceeds to the fund. Other businesses allowed jugs to be placed in their establishments so that customers could make donations.