Parizade fundraiser draws large crowd

Hundreds of people gathered at Cafe Parizade on West Main Street Saturday night to help raise money for the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.

The event was the culmination of a week of fundraising by a diverse coalition of about 40 student groups. Although officials will not have a final amount until Tuesday, the event raised approximately $3,000. That brings the coalition's fundraising efforts very close its $10,000 goal.

Students were packed into the restaurant's interior and courtyard. The event ran from 10 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., and organizers stopped taking a head count after the maximum occupancy of 700 was reached. At around midnight, students were being turned away, and lines formed around the block. With students coming and going throughout the night, organizers put attendance at approximately 900.

Several campus groups performed at the event. A capella groups Out of the Blue and Speak of the Devil and comedy group Duke University Improv entertained the crowd for the first hour and a half.

During week-long fundraising at tables on campus, organizers hoped to achieve another of their goals: increasing interaction among members of different student groups. That effort continued Saturday night.

"It was unbelievable. I can't believe how many people showed up," said junior Ethan Brown, a member of Theta Chi fraternity and one of the event's organizers. "Everybody was there, not just the greeks. Theater people were there and people from every kind of association."

Brown added that the event was so successful, he and the other organizers are considering putting it on annually.

The money will primarily go to the United Way September 11th Fund, which has been organizing fundraising efforts nationwide. Students directly affected by the terrorist attacks are eligible for funds from the campus organizers. Applications must be submitted by Oct. 17 and are available at http://csc.studentaffairs.duke.edu. They will be reviewed by the Division of Student Affairs.