Nearly 1,260 people found a way to merge entertainment and goodwill at a tsunami relief event Saturday, aptly titled "Hope."
To date, more than 250,000 people have lost their lives as a result of the Dec. 26 disaster, which affected many parts of South Asia. Calling the tsunami "one of the most devastating natural disasters in history," the South Asian community organized the night of performances, which raised funds for tsunami relief.
The sell-out crowd was treated to a taste of Bollywood, hip hop and R&B.;
Penn Masala jazzed up the crowd with their Indian tunes fused with rap. Artists Santalina and Elijah filled Irvine Auditorium with R & B and pop beats. The first part of the show ended with an act by Daniel Nainan, a comedian who has previously appeared on NBC's Last Comic Standing.
The laughter continued with comedian Russell Peters taking the stage for an act that left the whole audience energized with humor.
This show "was put together really quickly," said Sueann Zachariah, vice president of Drexel's Variety of Indian Cultural Expressions, "but it has turned out to be a lot of fun."
All the proceeds of the event were donated to the Red Cross, and the group personally presented a check for $30,800 to the organization, exceeding the organizers' $25,000 target.
"It was an honor to be part of such an event," said Samir Amrute, a Wharton and Engineering junior and member of Penn Masala. "And it's great to have so many students from around Philadelphia" involved.
Wharton doctoral student Jayanth Krishnan, an executive board member of Rangoli -- an Indian organization -- encouraged students to help "by taking a more active role in donating to and supporting service organizations."
He also added that student groups should make a more collaborative effort to raise awareness and spread the word.
The event was organized by 30 groups from around the Philadelphia, Delaware and southern New Jersey areas. They included the Sigma Beta Rho fraternity and VOICE of Drexel University, as well as Penn's own Rangoli.
Organizers called the night a huge success, citing both the great entertainment and increasing student interest in the tsunami disaster, as well as the funds raised to assist in the relief effort.
