Student’s Tide Against Suicide and the Counseling Center’s Tide Against Suicide initiative hosted Rhythms for a Reason on Sunday, featuring live music, food trucks and raffles with prizes for those in attendance.
The show took place on the Quad from 4-7 p.m. and was the beginning of the student initiative’s Recharge Week, where several events were put on to help students relax after midterms. While the bands’ performances were the biggest draw, attention was also drawn to the group’s cause.
“Recharge Week is about taking time to unplug and build relationships and connections,” said Michelle Moss, assistant director of suicide prevention for the Counseling Center. “We want to normalize checking on one another and making mental health a priority.”
The bands also engaged in a bit of friendly competition. Audience members were encouraged to vote with their dollar on their favorite performer, sending money into the group’s Venmo. The winner would receive half of the donations, with the other half going towards suicide prevention efforts.
There were prizes for audience members, too, with a raffle going on throughout the night that offered gift cards and trinkets. The grand prize was an Innisfree swag basket, given out at the end of the night.
“The music was great,” said Kenny Sanchez, a junior majoring in kinesiology. “Knowing it was for a good cause made it even better.”
Food was provided by Nothing Bundt Cakes and Urban Cookhouse, which arrived in mobile food trucks.
The votes were tallied by the end of the event and the competition was won by the duo Long Division, who played classic rock and country songs. Their set even had a surprise appearance from Big Al, who briefly got on stage and played drums.
Other performances included an appearance from the 603 Band, a large band consisting of professors and students in the College of Arts & Sciences. The ensemble included harmonica and flute alongside more traditional rock instrumentation, and several members provided vocals.
“The 603 Band were my personal favorites,” Sanchez said. “But there were no bad bands. Everyone did an awesome job.”
Bookending these performances were artists in other genres, whether piano ballads or groovy electronic music. There was something for everyone, and by the end of the night, $446 had been raised from those who were there, ending the concert on a great note.
“This is the first year we have done Rhythms for a Reason,” Moss said. “We all felt it was a success and a lot of fun, and we would love to do it again next spring.”
If you or anyone you know is struggling, please call 205-348-3863 during the Counseling Center’s operating hours. If the Counseling Center is closed, call 205-348-5454 to speak with the University of Alabama Police Department and ask for the on-call counselor immediately. Alternatively, call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
