Sigma Chi Beta partnered with Student Government Inc. to host its first annual Battle of the Bands event for “Relay for Life.” Approximately $800 was raised, from ticket sales and donations.
“Relay for Life” is an annual event sponsored and hosted by the American Cancer Society, where people from all over the country come together in support of the fight against cancer. It is comprised of different events but the key events begin the Survivors Lap and include the Luminaria Ceremony and the Fight Back Ceremony throughtout the night.
The event was held in Marillac Auditorium on Feb. 11. Gamma Phi Beta, Sigma Chi Beta, and other students sat in the dimly lit building and cheered after each band finished a song. There was mingling in between the breaks when bands got their set ready.
Members of Sigma Chi Beta were the judges and voted for TEAM as the winning band. The group will also perform at “Relay for Life” event on April 13.
TEAM spoke after the event on the turnout of the event and on doing it for charity for Relay for Life. Mike Morettoni, drummer and sophomore, shared how the group came to hear about this event. Morettoni said he was approached by Wayne Bryce, from Sigma Chi Beta, at Montgoris and asked him if they wanted to play for the Battle of the Bands. “Basically yes and it ended up being for charity which is great,” Morettoni said.
Pam Zazzarino, keyboardist and sister of guitarist and senior Matt, gave her thoughts on having the privilege to perform for a charity event. “I think that’s a great idea,” she said. “I think having a Battle of the Bands to support Relay for Life is an awesome idea. I mean, it was really successful, like they got a lot of money for the cause, and also a lot of awareness.”
Bryce, the organizer, said he was happy about how the event turned out, especially as it was the first time it had been attempted. “We were expecting maybe a little less than this but seeing as this is our first annual,” he said. “We’re gonna be doing it again next year, we just wanna make sure this stays alive.”
Bryce described the condition of the crowd and was proud to say that they were very enthusiastic. “The crowd seemed to have some sort of energy towards the end of the night and the bands that played were phenomenal so I was really happy with the turnout on that and hopefully it’ll just be bigger next year,” he stated.
He concluded and expressed his thoughts on the anticipation he has for the Relay for Life event and for next year’s Battle of the Bands. “There was a lot of rough patches that we had to iron out and we ironed it out and I think considering the way the show went, we’re all really excited about it and we can’t wait to do it again,” Bryce expressed.
