BYU NewsNet - UNICEF benefit concert raises funds for impoverished children

By Emily James and Todd Holbrook

There is more that charitable students can do than donate cans of food this holiday season. BYU's UNICEF club offers a far more exciting way for students to spread cheer to others.

UNICEF will host a benefit concert, "Believe in Zero," this Saturday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. in the Ballroom of the Wilkinson Center to raise money for underprivileged children.

Benefiting kids throughout the globe, the dance party is six dollars per person and features performances by Shark Speed, Imagine Dragons and The Kid You Nauts. Tickets can be purchased at the Wilkinson Student Center Information Desk or at the door on Saturday. The bands will perform from 7 to 9 p.m. Dancing will continue with a DJ from 9 until 11 p.m.

The BYU UNICEF chapter is holding the concert to raise money for UNICEF's cause, "Believe in Zero." "Believe in Zero" is the goal of reducing the daily number of children who die from preventable causes from 25,000 to zero. The funds raised will go to helping children have basic medical care, clean water and mosquito bed netting.

Skyler Stevenson, 23, a senior from Laguna Beach, Calif., studying political science and communications is president of the BYU UNICEF chapter and is excited to raise awareness about the club's mission.

"This is our opportunity to shine," Stevenson said.

"Believe in Zero" apparel will be for sale at the concert, and a video will be showing throughout the night featuring celebrity endorsements from Laurence Fishburne, Ne-Yo, Lucy Liu, Nicole Richie, Joel Madden and Al Roker, Stevenson said.

The George Harrison Fund for UNICEF will match every dollar UNICEF raises. UNICEF's goal is to sell 1,000 tickets, which would earn them $6,000 on the spot. With the match from the George Harrison Fund, UNICEF aims to raise $12,000 total.

"Even if you can't come to the concert, buy a ticket anyway," Stevenson said. "That's $12 you'll be donating to UNICEF."

This concert is inspired by two concerts that George Harrison helped organize at Madison Square Garden featuring Ravi Shankar, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Leon Russell and Billy Preston in 1971, Stevenson said. The concerts raised more than $15 million to help impoverished people in Bangladesh.

With regards to the "Believe in Zero" concert, Stevenson said, "It's about music and having a good time."

Sara Holden, 20, from Redlands, Calif., can be found on campus with a UNICEF pin on her backpack. She said the event is a smart move for helping students become aware of world problems.

"The charity dance is a good way to put a college student activity toward charity," Holden said. "College students like the idea of a dance, so in a way, we can hit two birds with one stone."

Dan Reynolds, a sophomore from Las Vegas, Nev., studying advertising, is the lead singer and guitarist of Imagine Dragons, winner of BYU's 2008 Battle of the Bands. This is their first benefit concert since forming in late August and he is thrilled to be a part of it.

"We just thought it was a great cause," Reynolds said. "Our top priority is to make as many people aware about it as possible so they can contribute to it."

Concert Information: What your money can buy

$3 can buy a large wool blanket to protect a child from the cold during an emergency.

$17 can immunize a child against the 6 major childhood diseases.

$54 can buy 150 sachets of PlumpyNut, a ready-to-eat therapeutic spread to nourish children with acute malnutrition.

$100 can buy a kit with enough materials to test 100 children for the Hepatitis-B virus.

$500 can buy a year's supply of antiretroviral medicine for an HIV-positive child under three-years-old.