Benefit Concert Raises Money for Poverty Awareness

The Poverty Awareness Coalition for Equality (PACÉ) held Sweaterfest, its annual fundraiser to support poverty awareness and education, recently at Champs Bar & Grill.

This was PACÉ’s (pay-chay) fifth annual Sweaterfest, which consisted of a tacky Christmas sweater competition, a raffle with prizes from local businesses and live music featuring The Jugbusters.

The first floor of Champs was overwhelmed with flashing light necklaces, Santa hats, antler ears and tacky sweaters covered with snowmen, reindeer and Christmas trees.

Nick Vosonck, a 2007 Virginia Tech graduate, was decked out in a black sweater-vest, covered with snowflakes and snowmen pins.

“My girlfriend picked out my outfit for me; she’s a member in PACÉ,” Vosonck said.

Virginia Tech senior Kendall Kapetanakis heard about the event through various event announcements and groups on Facebook.

“I came to this event because it sounded like it was raising money for a good cause, while offering fun at the same time,” said Kapetanakis.

According to PACÉ’s web and graphic designer Allison Jarnagin, PACÉ’s goal was for people to enjoy themselves while raising money.

“This is an event for people to dress up, dance and have a good time while we fundraise for an important cause,” Jarnagin said.

PACÉ had a booth set up in Champs with information about their activities and projects, as well as a list for prospective members to sign up to get involved.

“We have a table with group members there to answer questions, and we post signs with information on them all over the downstairs of Champs,” Jarnagin said.

The first round of the raffle started at 11:30, and prizes such as gift certificates to Subway, Sub Station, TCBY and The Lyric were given away as well as a 12 oz. bag of imported coffee from Easy Chair Coffee Shop and four day passes to The Weight Club.

The dance-off was held at 12:30 p.m., which allowed the crowd to pick the winners of the tacky sweater contest by cheering for their favorite outfits while the nominees danced.

“People come up during the event to nominate their friends or someone they think has a pretty tacky outfit on,” Jarnagin said. “We call those nominees up and they have a dance off while The Jugbusters play.”

The group announced two winners, a boy and a girl, and gave the male winner two free tickets to a Virginia Tech Men’s Basketball game. They presented the female winner with a $50 gift certificate to On A Whim.

Following the dance-off, the group held the second round of the raffle, and gave away gift certificates to Bull & Bones, PK’s, Moe’s and Run About Sports. They also raffled off two 12 oz. bags of imported coffee from Easy Chair Coffee Shop, an Annie Kay’s goody bag and two tickets to a Virginia Tech Men’s Basketball game.

PACÉ recruiting officer Laura Elmlund said all the proceeds collected from the $5 cover charge and the raffle will be donated to PACÉ’s current global and local projects.

“This year the money goes to Sri Lanka for mosquito nets and the Montgomery County Assistance Emergency Program,” said Elmlund.

Jarnagin said the total amount of money raised from Sweaterfest came out to be $500.

“That is $100 better than last year,” said Jarnagin. “We really want to keep people aware of poverty globally and locally, and what they can do to help.”