Song, dance aid relief effort

Melodies radiating from the Great Hall could be heard Monday night as a cappella and dance groups preformed to raise money for Southeast Asia.

The proceeds from the event will be contributed to the mine-removal efforts in regions affected by the tsunamis that devastated Southeast Asia last month, specifically Sri Lanka.

Freshman Manisha Panjwani, who founded Project Landmine and organized Minesweep 2005, said the event focused on eliminating land mines in tsunami-affected areas because of the dangers they pose to civilians.

“The tsunamis uprooted and relocated a lot of land mines,” she said. “So not only have a lot of people lost their homes, but when they return (to their hometowns) they now face the possibility of being blown up.”

Since the tsunamis hit Southeast Asia, several UNC-Chapel Hill students have joined forces to aid in relief efforts and are sponsoring several events this week. Other efforts include the sale of green ribbons, bottles of water and hot chocolate in the Pit.

“Ribbons cost a dollar,” said Satish Misra, president of Sangam, UNC-CH’s South Asian awareness organization. “A lot of times, people just buy a ribbon for $20, donating the extra $19.”

Misra said the amount of student support has been a great force in the success of the relief campaigns. “Something we didn’t expect to raise a lot of money has because of an outpouring of student support.”

Sunay Shah, a senior business major, became involved in tsunami relief efforts as part of his New Year’s resolution.

Shah is the event coordinator of the Triangle Tsunami Relief Coalition, an organization formed by students at UNC-CH, N.C. State University and Duke University.

Members of the coalition have limited donors’ options to the American Red Cross, Save the Children and UNICEF. “The groups that are directly planning each event can decide where the money they raise is going,” Misra said.

Organizations also have hosted mixers at local nightclubs and auctioned tickets to the UNC-CH vs. Maryland men’s basketball game.

More fund-raisers are planned for later in the week.

Friday night, Players dance club is planning on donating proceeds to assist tsunami victims. On Saturday and Sunday night, two benefits will be held, showcasing dance and comedy groups, respectively. Next Thursday, a semi-formal will be held at the Carolina Inn to secure more funds for the three charities.

Shah estimates that the group has raised $10,000 so far and expects to raise an additional $20,000 to $30,000 by the end of next week.

Tsunami relief efforts will continue through the end of the semester. “My initial goal was just to raise $10,000,” Shah said. “But we’ve gone well over that goal. … This will be an ongoing process.”

Misra said the success is thanks to the large numbers of people who took an interest in the cause. “When we’ve asked for help we’ve only heard ‘no’ once or twice,” he said. “And we’ve asked a lot of people for help.”

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.