Students Raise $3200 at Rock ‘n’ Raise for Darfur Concert

On Valentine’s Day, over 400 people came together at a concert in Chicago to show their love not just for each other but also for the Darfuri refugees in eastern Chad. Local and national musical acts including Madina Lake, The Blisters, Big Science, Brendan Kelley of the Lawrence Arms, and the DePaul Prelude Choir performed before an energetic crowd of activists and music fans. Student organizers handed out petitions, sold t-shirts, and raffled off exciting prizes to raise funds.

In between sets, the crowd learned about the plight of the Sudanese. Lost Boy of Sudan Malual Awak recounted his struggles as a refugee and his journey to the U.S.  In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, Awak professed his love for the Chicago Bulls! His presentation moved the crowd, and he received rousing applause as he walked off the stage.

The Rock ‘n’ Raise for Darfur concert was conceived by Youth United for Darfur, a Chicago-based student coalition, as part of a month-long fundraising campaign. With 40 student groups participating, the coalition aims to raise $50,000 for the Darfur Dream Team’s Sister Schools Program to support Ali Dinar A school in Djabal refugee camp. Student groups will continue to host events, organize fundraisers, and send pledge letters during the next two weeks to achieve their goal.

• Sudan and South Sudan
• Genocide
• Eastern Chad