Two Ball State students are asking for help from several local bands in hopes of achieving their lifelong dreams of going to Africa.
Trackless, Ernest Young, Without Wind and Fall For Sara are coming together for a benefit concert Saturday in Pruis Hall.
The concert, which begins at 6 p.m. and costs $5 per person, will raise money for Meghan Short, a junior hospitality and food management major, and Kelly Hollis, a junior social work major.
Short and Hollis will travelto Tanzania, Africa, on July 3 with the Growth International Volunteer Excursions, or GIVE, program.
“[A concert is] something everyone can relate to because we all enjoy music and it’s something that is cultural over there as well as over here,” Short said. “Everyone was really excited to volunteer because they really believed in the cause.”
To cover expenses for plane tickets, medical costs, passports and traveler’s visas, Short and Hollis have to raise $5,000 each.
So far, Short has raised about $1,000 at a previous concert she hosted in Fort Wayne over Winter Break. Hollis has raised $100.
With the first concert being a success, they decided to bring another one to Ball State.
Short and Hollis said the concert won’t cover the rest of their expenses, but they hope at least 200 people attend. Short said 80 people would have to attend for them to break even for venue and advertising costs.
Hollis and Short said all of the fundraising is worth it so they can experience their lifelong dream of going to Africa.
“We can go over there and help change lives, but as we’re changing their lives, they’re also having a greater impact on us,” Hollis said. “Leaving my home and going to college was a big change for me, so I know leaving the country will have an even greater impact.”
During the trip, Short and Hollis will work to fulfill GIVE’s mission, to “focus on sustainable community development,” according to a news release.
Short said they will help build recycled schools out of two-liter bottles and to develop safe water systems. They will also organize extra curricular lessons teaching English, etiquette and sports.
Short and Hollis will continue to fundraise after the concert, asking friends, family and professors to donate.
