Concert for the Cure at Cowboy’s Hall

Kyle Park among the acts performing at the annual philanthropy event

by Maddie Rau

Tomorrow, Jan. 21 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Cowboys Dancehall will host the 7th Annual Concert for the Cure. The highlight of the event will be a live performance by Texas country singer Kyle Park with the Aaron Einhouse Band opening the show.

All ticket sale proceeds for the event go to the American Cancer Society camp for children who are suffering or have suffered from cancer. You can still buy tickets at Coates from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, at ticketmaster.com or at the door.

Senior urban studies and Spanish double major Evin White, who is the co-chair for the event along with junior Brittany Hjalmquist, has been in charge of raising the $20,000 necessary just to put on the concert.

“We’ve been making payments for this event all through the year, so we totally sustain ourselves,” said White. “We had all kinds of little fundraisers, donations from individual families and a huge T-shirt campaign. A lot of people are under some misconception of how we raised it, but [Hjalmquist] and I raised its existence.”

The event is sponsored by Trinity organizations including Gamma Chi Delta Sorority, Chi Beta Epsilon Sorority, ASR and the Student Programming Board, who donated $1,500 apiece toward the cause. This year in particular will be meaningful for those close to Concert for the Cure because it is expected that they will hit the $100,000 donation mark after giving a total of $85,000 to Camp Discovery over the past seven years.

“Our money goes directly to that camp — actually for kids with cancer—which is why it’s such a big deal,” said White. “This year my sorority has been hit hard with the disease, so I am glad to have played a role in helping and really giving back to people.”

Hjalmquist, a business and history double major co-chairing the event with White, explained that she is admittedly not the most up to date Texas Country Music individual.

“I am from Colorado, so I hadn’t exactly heard of Kyle Park until we knew he would be headlining the event,” said Hjalmquist. “But now, Kyle Park is all I listen to in my room. The owner of Cowboys said that Kyle is really excited about the cause, which is great because at the end of the day it’s like you’re on the same team and you want your (team) to be just as enthusiastic as you are.”

Senior Kate Fulkerson, president of Gamma Chi Delta Sorority and a political science major, described her role in this year’s Concert for the Cure.

“I pretty much just oversee the Concert for the Cure Committee and support them to make sure everything is on track,” said Fulkerson. “After getting bigger and bigger every year, this is the year where we can really say that Concert for the Cure is self-sustaining—an institution and event in itself. For me, it’s the perfect year to be a part of it. Being President (of my sorority) is awesome enough, but I am more proud of what we do together as an organization.”

The first Concert for the Cure took place in 2005 and was a small fundraising event held in the Webster Gym. Conceived largely by ’08 Trinity graduate Amy Walton, the event began as a philanthropic effort close to the heart—Walton herself was afflicted with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in her youth.

“That is why Camp Discovery is so near and dear to us—because the member that founded Concert for the Cure went there when she had childhood cancer,” Fulkerson said. “In less than 7 years we have sent more than 100 kids to that camp who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to go.”

At 2:20 p.m. today there will be a Concert for the Cure day on the Esplanade with free cake and give-a-ways. There will also be a group photo opportunity if you wear your Concert for the Cure t-shirt from any year. Additionally, a free guitar signed by Kyle Park will be given away at the concert itself.