The tsunami relief benefit, "Children of the Tsunami: Rebuilding Lives," held Saturday in Alumnae Hall, marked the culmination of tsunami relief efforts on campus. Featuring Indian cuisine, a silent auction and live entertainment, the fundraiser took in over $7,600 in donations for UNICEF.
Over 20 student groups sponsored the benefit.
"I knew that SASA (South Asian Students Association) had to do something," said Preethi Guniganti '05, one of the organizers of the benefit.
The tsunami hit areas of Southeast Asia in December right after students left campus for winter break. Some students worried about how the Brown community would respond because students were away. But as soon as students returned to campus, relief efforts began.
Guniganti e-mailed student groups and administrators, seeking sponsors for the benefit. Starting with SASA, the benefit grew into a campus-wide effort involving students, faculty, administration and even Providence businesses.
Faizah Malik '06, another organizer, thought that a benefit would be a good idea because people would be able to enjoy themselves while giving to a good cause.
"It's something that really appeals to people," Malik said.
The semiformal benefit included a dinner catered by Taste of India, a silent auction, live music and dancing. As students dined on traditional Indian cuisine, a live jazz band entertained and images of the work by UNICEF were projected overhead. The silent auction featured over 50 items, including Trinity Repertory Company tickets, a lunch with President Ruth Simmons and tickets to an April reception for former President Bill Clinton. After dinner, rock band The Good Days performed. The evening concluded with dancing that included popular Indian music.
The silent auction raised at least $1,000 on its own. The highest bid, $220, was for the lunch with Simmons. Throughout the evening, students were generous with their donations. One student won $52 in a raffle, then donated the money back to UNICEF.
The benefit was the largest campus-wide tsunami relief effort, with 250 people in attendance for dinner and at least another 70 people attending the concert and dance.
Some students also chose to raise money on their own. Zahara and Shereen Kassam, both '05, sold Indian jewelry in the post office. Both sisters arrived in India for a vacation the day after the tsunami hit. While staying in the country, they were horrified by tragic images of the disaster.
"It was really tough to be on vacation and not do anything," Zahara said.
They began collecting Indian jewelry to sell back at Brown, including authentic Indian bangles and earrings. They earned over $1,500 for Focus Humanitarian Assistance, a relief agency based in India that provides aid for countries hit by natural disasters.
