"Amp Your Voice" benefit concert for Darfur

First, I called a committee. I asked a man named Tom Flood, a member of the local Darfur group, to be my co-chair. I wanted to get other students involved as well, from all different schools. I asked about two kids from each local school to join the committee. There were about 10 on the committee. I found a place to host the event, and had to raise money to rent it out. I gave a presentation to a local humanitarian group. They were skeptical, but liked the idea and agreed to loan me money for the event. I held committee meetings at my house about every three weeks to discuss donations, sponsorship, and poster designs. I also received help from a local graphic artist with the design. I observed local bands and the committee and chose four bands. In late January, my co-chair Tom told me that he had to move to Miami and could no longer help with the event. This was a huge disappointment, but he told me that I could do it on my own. I learned a lot about press releases when it came closer to the event. I worked with a friend of my mom and after about four rough drafts, sent a P.R. package out to all the local papers and magazines. During the following two weeks, I was constantly on the phone or exchanging emails with writers for the papers. I felt so proud to see my name and the names of the committee members in three different newspapers. There was also many other tasks I had to take care of; getting donations, talking to vendors, arranging transportation and other details for the bands. The event itself was a huge success. About 250 people showed up and we ran a video presentation to inform teenagers about the genocide in Darfur. After all of the expenses were paid, we raised about 3,000 dollars and 1 shelter box, worth 1,000 dollars. A shelter box is a large Tupperware box, filled with a tent to house about ten people, dishes and silverware, a gas stove-top, and blankets. Since the event, I have written many thank-you letters because I wanted to do it right. Now, when I see a problem, I still like to do something about it. Working with a committee proved to be difficult at times, but I learned a lot about compromising and working with many opinions. I enjoyed putting on this event and helping people in need.