10:12 a.m., March 17, 2010----More than 600 students attended the UD Benefit Concert for Haiti, presented by the UniteD Students for Haiti student organization on Thursday, March 11, at the Trabant University Center.

THIS STORY

E-mail

Print

Twitter

Approximately 18 UD student groups, organizations, and off-campus bands gave performances, including UD Kamaal, the Y Chromes, the Deltones, the D Sharps, the Mel-U-Dees, the NSBE Step Team, The High Life, Jagwire Lexis, Shane Palkovitz, the Riot Act, and many others.

The concert helped raised more than $7,000 toward the UniteD Students for Haiti's ultimate goal of $50,000 to help rebuild Villa Hospital in Haiti, which was destroyed as a result of the earthquake.

President Patrick Harker opened the show with a brief summary of how the concert came about, along with words of encouragement.

“This concert is proof that we can help. We can come together and touch the lives of people we'll probably never meet. And we'll do it because we're proud to be part of a global community,” he said.

Students Rita Chang, Marc Guzman, Daniel Schroeder, who are in the Honors Progarm, and Matt Watters coordinated the concert with the help of many student organizations and UD departments.

“We can't thank enough all the guests, performers, volunteers, co-sponsors and UD departments who made this concert a success. This was surely not the work of just one, two, or even 10 people. It was, as our name shows, a UniteD front of the entire university community,” Chang said.

"I was overwhelmed at the turnout of the event and the support given by the attendees,” Guzman said. “Many came in sporting their Hope for Haiti T-shirts, and it was nice to see that we were all united under one front. While we represent many student organizations, fraternities and sororities, we came out in unity representing UD students coming together for an amazing cause.”

"I think the audience really enjoyed the show. We tried to include a variety of different acts and styles in order to appease the different tastes of the audience members,” Schroeder said.

The students expressed special thanks to SCPAB, the StUDent Government Association, the Financial Management Association, the Black Student Union and Delta Sigma Pi for all of their help in coordinating the event.

The concert also was supported by the Office of the President, the Office of the Vice President for Student Life, the Office of Communications and Marketing, Student Centers, the Institute for Global Studies, University Media Centers and many other student organizations and individuals. Catering Services donated continuous beverages at the concert, and Dining Services served Haitian food all day on the concert day.

Thus far, students have raised approximately $30,000, but still have $20,000 more to go to reach their ultimate goal.

The “Hope for Haiti” T-shirts and wristbands will continue to be sold at the Trabant University Center during lunchtime, and the group has also planned some smaller scale events, including 5k runs, an intramural competition, an Olympics style event on The Green and a video game competition that they hope will help them reach their goal.

“As long as the need exists in Haiti, UniteD Students for Haiti will be there to help,” Matt Watters, president of Students for Haiti, said.

Article by Katie Galgano
Photos by Evan Krape