Starting from humble beginnings eight years ago as a small performance in Mabee Dining Hall, Concert for the Cure has grown immensely over the years, raising over $100,000 to date, and it now finds a home at Cowboy’s Dancehall.

Senior Amanda Hasselle, member of the Gamma Chi Delta sorority, is proud of how much the event has increased in size, but she also recognizes there is always room for improvement.

“We’re always trying to beat what we did last year. We always want to do better. That’s not always the case, but obviously since the beginning we’ve expanded. There’s a lot of dedication and motivation to improve it and to look for bigger and better things. We’re always competing against our past year,” Hasselle said.

Although they are currently sanctioned and prohibited from hosting social events, the Gammas are still allowed to participate in volunteer events.

“The Gammas are allowed to put on this event because it falls under the philanthropic service plan that President Ahlburg and Dr. Fischer designed for the Greek clubs to be reinstated on campus,” said Jamie Thompson, director of Campus and Community Involvement. “As long as the t-shirts they are selling and the promotional material they use doesn’t have the name of the sorority on them, they can still do the event, so instead of putting Gammas on the t-shirts they have to focus more on the American Cancer Society and Camp Discovery.”

Senior Gamma Emma Golborne said that although the Gammas host Concert for the Cure, the event transcends the sorority.

“Concert for the Cure is something that Gammas put on, but it’s gone farther than that. It’s just a chance for us to raise money and do leadership, which we really emphasize. I think it will not only be good to show the faculty and administration that we’re doing this, but also it just helps us as people with leadership skills and talking to companies for sponsorship and everything,” Golborne said.

Hasselle agreed with Golborne, saying that the openness of the event contributes to its success.

“I feel like it’s less catered towards Greeks than many of the other events, so it draws more people,” Hasselle said.

Thompson thinks that the work the Gammas have done with Concert for the Cure has helped increase attendance at the event.

“I think it’s important that the Gammas continue to host this event because it’s a part of their identity. People know it’s something they put on, so they tend to associate Concert for the Cure with the Gammas. It’s also for a great cause, so it’s good that the girls can contribute to such an important organization,” Thompson said.

With the addition of corporate sponsors this year, Concert for the Cure is sure to be bigger than ever, and the task of securing these sponsorships has given invaluable experience to the Gammas in charge of setting up the fundraiser.

“I think the big thing that we’ve realized this year is that, yes, we all have a connection to someone with cancer because it’s just so prevalent,” Hasselle said.”

Concert for the Cure allows students to gain experience and be involved in the community.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to learn and to give people a chance to learn to deal with business and communication and organization, so it’s important for both the community service aspect and the personal leadership development aspect,” Hasselle said.

The eighth annual Concert for the Cure begins at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, at Cowboy’s Dancehall. The Aaron Einhouse Band and Jack Ingram will be the featured performers, and all proceeds for the event will go to the American Cancer Society’s Camp Discovery, an annual summer camp for Texas children affected by cancer.

Tickets may be purchased from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., today, Friday, Jan. 25 in Coates University Center for $10. Ticekts may be purchased at the door for $15.