Part dancing, part saving the world

By John Palmer

DeKALB | Students who have the urge to dance and save the world at the same time need look no further than the third annual Dance for Africa event.

The dance will take place tonight in the Duke Ellington Ballroom. The doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the event starts at 8 p.m.

The event was created by the African Student Association to help raise money for the Children’s Sure House and The Uganda Project, two charities that build orphanages for Ugandan children who lost their parents to AIDS.

Uganda, as well as many other African nations, has suffered from the AIDS epidemic. In Africa, 25 million people are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. That number makes up about 63 percent of people living with HIV in the world. Over $1,000 was raised last year for the cause, and the A.S.A. hopes to break that mark this year.

The event will be hosted by clothing designers SK and KOFO, with music provided by DJ Benladen. People can expect a collection of dancing, step show, spoken word, rapping and poetry at the dance.

“We expect to see a lot of people show up to show that they care about other countries other than their own,” said A.S.A. president Michael Boateng. “We hope the dance will educate people about HIV and STD’s in the U.S. and in other countries.”

There will be performances by Alpha Phi Alpha, S.I.S.T.E.R.S., Erica Hutchinson and Alpha Omega Nu, among others.

Attendees can purchase tickets in advance at the Holmes Student Center box office or in Cole Hall for $3. Tickets at the door are $5. For more information on the Children’s Sure House or The Uganda Project project, check out childrenssurehouse.com and ugandaproject.org.