2008 Woodie Awards
Main Street businesses to raise money for disasters
Josh Shannon
Issue date: 5/20/08 Section: News
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As part of the event, participating businesses will donate a portion of their sales to the Red Cross to help victims of the disasters in Myanmar and China.
Junior Kavi Chokshi said he organized the event, called Get Out on Main Street Day, after reading articles about the lack of donations worldwide and realizing the university community was not doing much for the victims.
"Nothing was going on on campus," Chokshi said. "I don't usually get involved, but I didn't see anything else that was being done."
According to The Associated Press, approximately 78,000 people have died and another 55,000 are missing as a result of the May 2 cyclone in Myanmar, formerly Burma, in southeast Asia. Hundreds of thousands more are in danger due to a lack of food and shelter, but the country's military junta is restricting aid to the country.
On May 12, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit central China, killing approximately 29,000 people and leaving millions more homeless.
Chokshi said after he heard about the need in Asia, he wanted to do something to help, but was not sure what to do. He e-mailed the heads of several RSOs asking for ideas.
After learning holding an event on the Green was not feasible, he said he decided late last week to organize a fundraiser on Main Street. Chokshi said he already had a relationship with some business owners because of a project he worked on last semester as president of the Blue Hen Marketing Club.
He said most businesses he asked were willing to help. Eighteen stores signed up to participate.
"For the most part, if I got the chance to talk to them, they were pretty willing," Chokshi said. "Only a few said, 'No, our margins can't allow that,' or 'That's too much work for us.' "
Several student groups, including the Blue Hen Marketing Club and the Business Student Advisory Board, signed on to help promote the event.
Chokshi said he has been trying to spread word of the event through e-mail and Facebook and by hanging posters around campus. He said he will be distributing fliers in Trabant University Center today.
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