Ellington

A sizeable crowd of about 100 people gathered at the HUB Auditorium last night for Chi Omega's "Rock the World" concert, a benefit affair for Kenyan charity Mama Na Dada and Children of the Nations in the Dominican Republic.

Spirits remained high as four local bands — Olympus, Goldenhaan, Akufunksher and Chris Sharpe — entertained the audience with original songs and playful antics.

Tickets were sold for $5, with 50 percent of proceeds divided among both charities. The concept of a benefit concert was realized during a Chi Omega philanthropy committee meeting, said junior Caroline Cardosi, a member of the sorority.

"It was sort of a side project in addition to our regular philanthropy projects," Cardosi said. "Both charities sort of hit close to home for many of the women in our chapter. Several of us went to the Dominican Republic as part of a mission trip with the Inn [a campus Presbyterian ministry]. We wanted to give back again."

Sophomore and Chi Omega sister Lauren Wotherspoon said she felt inspired to help organize the event by her past experiences volunteering in the Dominican Republic.

"It was incredibly challenging but awesome being there," Wotherspoon said. "The work we did was very meaningful to us and hopefully to the people we worked with."

Children of the Nations (COTN) is a Christian organization which provides orphaned and destitute children in the Dominican Republic, Sierra-Leone, Uganda and Malawi with relief materials, education resources, medical care, counseling and evangelistic Biblical training. Mission groups from nationwide churches make regular service trips to COTN-based nations.

Nairobi, Kenya-based Mama Na Dada — which means "mother and sister" in Swahili — is a "nonprofit, non-governmental organization formed by and for African women to support the empowerment of the African girl-child," according to its Web site. It focuses primarily on the education of young African women to enable them to succeed professionally, and also as a means of AIDS education, prevention and awareness.

In Kenya's Kunya village where Mama Na Dada is based, there is a 40 percent AIDS rate, and 50 percent of pregnant mothers are HIV positive, frequently passing the disease onto their babies, said Daniel Rateng, an HIV/AIDS counselor in Kenya who works with the organization.

"As you have fun tonight, you're going to contribute to the well-being of children in Kenya," Rateng said during the show to a cheering crowd. "It goes to show you can make a difference, no matter where you are in the world."

[Reach reporter Katie Stapleton-Paff at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]