On Friday, Oct. 6 from 7-9 p.m., the Residence Housing Association, partnered with Kay Blada Recycling, is putting on a benefit concert at Great Hall. The money raised by this event will be donated towards the effort of removing plastic from the streets of Haiti.
Kay Blada Recycling was founded in 2015 for the purpose of removing trash from the streets of Haiti. Johnson Desauguste, the founder of the organization, is a native of Haiti.
Erin Danford, the co-president of Kay Blada Recycling, said the proceeds will go to bringing electricity back to a recycling plant.
“The recycling facility down in Haiti has no power," Danford said. "It’s in an area of a rural town that can't be connected to the power grid. We are partnering with United Solar Initiative, another organization on campus. They agreed to donate solar panels if we donate 20 percent of the cost.”
The performances at the concert are diverse. They range from a capella to rock to musical theater. The acts that are performing include Harmonyx, The Loreleis, Tar Heel Voices, UNC Pauper Players, UNC Achordants, The Walk Ons, The Tarpeggios and Blue Frequency.
“I am excited to see such a variety of groups perform and such a wide variety of people come," Danford said. "We have all types of people coming together to raise money for such a great cause.”
Faith Jones, a music major and member of Tar Heel Voices, is excited for the chance to sing for a good cause.
“Spring concerts are very 'look at us,' but when we get to perform at a benefit, the stakes aren’t as high and allow us to take a step back and put a lot of things in perspective," Jones said. "We can use our voices for good (and) not get caught up in things like what we are going to wear. It gives us a chance to realize a lot of things are bigger than us.”
Spencer Beck, a senior and member of Blue Frequency, sees playing a benefit concerts as more beneficial than a usual show.
