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Dance for Darfur to raise money for refugees

Nov. 9, 2007

KALAMAZOO--A communitywide dance to raise money for displaced refugees from the conflict in Darfur, Sudan, will be from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, at the Radisson Plaza Hotel and Suites in downtown Kalamazoo.

The event is sponsored by PeaceJam Mentors, a student organization on the campus of Western Michigan University that includes students from WMU, Kalamazoo College and Kalamazoo Valley Community College, as well as other college-aged youth.

Donations will be sent to the Save Darfur Coalition, an organization raising money for refugees in the western Sudan region. Since early 2003, fighting amongst various factions has killed thousands of people and displaced more than two million. Refugees live in crowded camps in the main towns of Darfur, but they suffer lack of food, water and medicine, as well as poor living conditions.

The dance is open to the public. There is a suggested donation of $10, but for every $25 raised, a raffle ticket will be given to win an iPod shuffle or other items donated by local businesses. A cash bar will begin at 10:30 p.m. Dress is casual, but wearing black and white is encouraged. Black and white stripes are the refugee awareness colors.

Supporters of the event include the Radisson Plaza Hotel and Suites, radio station WKFR 103.3 FM and the Kalamazoo Community Foundation.

For more information, contact, Danielle Harik at danielle.harik@wmich.edu or (269) 358-2006.

Media contact: Deanne Molinari, (269) 387-8400, deanne.molinari@wmich.edu

WMU News
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(269) 387-8400
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