by Alexandra Mansbach
Carrboro Commons Writer

At first glance, the students and locals enjoying music and conversation at Cat’s Cradle Feb. 19 appeared to be hanging out like it was any other Tuesday night.

But this was not your typical bar night—most of the proceeds went to Relay For Life, which will take place in Chapel Hill in March.

Russell Baggett and Jeremy Buenviaje of the Honored Guests play at the concert fundraiser for Relay For Life at Cat’s Cradle last Tuesday night.
Staff photo by Alexandra Mansbach

“We’re usually open to things like this,” said Cat’s Cradle manager Derek Powers. “On average we do about two a month.”

Powers allows charities to use the venue for no cost, and on nights like Tuesday, Cat’s Cradle’s only profit comes from purchases made at the bar.
The event, “Cancer Sucks ’08,” charged a $5 cover fee at the door, which went directly to Relay For Life. Pizza sold for a dollar a slice and Relay For Life T-shirts sold for $12 a piece, or two for $20.

About 50 tickets were sold on campus prior to the event, but the small amount didn’t worry Amy Bugno, event chairwoman for this year’s Relay For Life planning committee. “College kids don’t usually like buying things in advance,” she said.

About 125 people ended up attending. The crowd was filled with students and local residents, some attending for the fundraiser and others attending for the music.

Three bands played at the event Tuesday night: The Future Kings of Nowhere (from Durham), the Sammies (from Charlotte) and The Honored Guests (from Chapel Hill). The Sammies donated half of their T-shirt sales to Relay For Life.

“We figured it’s for a good cause,” said Donnie Yale, drummer and vocalist for the band.

Committee members Mark Shifflet, Amy Bugno and Justin Singer pose with pizza and merchandise they were selling to raise money for Relay For Life.
Staff photo by Alexandra Mansbach

Relay For Life is an overnight event in which teams of 10-15 people raise money and take turns running or walking laps. The event is used as a way to bring people together, remember those lost to cancer, celebrate those who have survived and raise money to fight the disease.

The money raised at the event goes to the American Cancer Society, Bugno said. ACS then distributes the money to other organizations, including UNC Hospitals and the ACS Hope Lodge in Greenville, NC, which provides a home for cancer patients who live far from treatment centers.
Though a lot of UNC-CH’s Relay For Life participants are students, Bugno said that locals are encouraged to participate.

“We usually get a good number of local residents,” Bugno said. “There are usually a lot of young kids and high school-aged kids, too.”

The actual relay will take place Friday, March 28, through Saturday, March 29. The opening ceremony, which consists of a guest speaker and a celebratory survivors lap, will be at 6 p.m. March 28.

“It’s basically about the survivors,” said Mark Shifflet, a senior journalism major at UNC-CH and event co-chair.

Shifflet has planned other fundraising events for the organization, including a dodge ball tournament called “Save Your Balls”. He is also the captain of a team participating in the relay.

Donations are still accepted in person, but now a lot of money is donated online, which really helps the cause.

“We can be making money 24-7 now,” said Krista Pool, a junior journalism major and event co-chair. “That’s where the bulk of the money comes from.”

Pool has been involved with Relay For Life for ten years. Since her freshman year at UNC, she has participated with a team called the Sweet Suite, which consists of her roommate and suitemates from her freshman year.

Tuesday night’s concert was a success, raising almost $1,000 in ticket and merchandise sales, Bugno said. Though each person attended for their own reasons, it seems that everyone could agree on one thing:

“I think everybody knows someone who’s been affected by cancer,” said Frank Backgammon, guitarist and vocalist for the Sammies. “So thanks for coming out for a good cause.”