A crisp fall day served as the perfect backdrop to gather in the fight against childhood cancer.
Belmont’s Public Relations Student Society of America chapter partnered with the nonprofit group With Purpose on Friday to raise awareness for childhood cancer research during Jam With Purpose, a music festival held on the South Lawn.
“Being able to see the ideation to the completion of all the planning and work has been amazing,” said Belmont student Chelsea Lomartire, one of the event’s organizers.
With Purpose is a nonprofit organization dedicated to youth-led programs funding pediatric cancer research.
“There are only four treatments for childhood cancer, and most money tends to go to adult research,” said Toni Herr, another of the event’s organizers. “That’s why this is so important.”
The groups partnered as a result of the Bateman competition, in which PRSSA chapters from across the country lead a campaign for the same charitable organization. At the August 2017 convention, Belmont’s chapter was approached by With Purpose’s founder, Erin Benson, about a continued partnership.
“We’ve been working since April and lightly over the summer,” Herr said. “We’ve been working our butts off to find people to donate time, services and equipment, and it’s all come together.”
This, however, was not the first Jam With Purpose event. The original was organized by Amelia Moscowitz, a sixth grader who had a personal connection with the Benson family.
“She put on this fundraising concert in a garage with a group of her friends, and it really adds into the idea of youth advocacy that a group of sixth graders were able to pull that off,” Lomartire said.
Belmont’s festival featured artists including Alex Lomartire, Shelby Scott and Hailey Rama among others. Various booths were set up in the area highlighting some of Belmont’s organizations and With Purpose itself.
“My cousin was diagnosed with cancer, so this is something very dear to my heart,” Rama said. “It’s so great getting to be a part of such an important cause.”
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