Celebration Outreach Group, a musical theater outreach group in the department of theatre and dance, has teamed up with Beat Auburn Beat Hunger to bring a new event to the Capstone. Tonight at 7 in Morgan Auditorium, the group will hold a benefit concert called “Cabaret for Cans.”

After the success of last year’s benefit concert for Haiti disaster relief, Celebration decided to join the efforts of Beat Auburn Beat Hunger and have a benefit for the food bank.

“I am so happy that this event has grown to be such a talked about event on campus, and I am hoping that we can fill Morgan Auditorium,” said Emmett Louise Smith, a junior majoring in musical theatre. “By pairing with Beat Auburn Beat Hunger, we have been able to combine our efforts and target more people on campus, so I am excited to see what the turnout is this year.”

Celebration is open to any student with a major or minor in the department of theatre and dance. Its mission is to share the performing arts with the community and to help raise awareness for various causes and charities.

Incorporating the idea that the arts have an impact on all who encounter them, Celebration does outreach work through nursing homes, schools, churches and anywhere else the arts are needed.

“I always enjoy the different productions of the department of theatre and dance,” said Suzanne Schwee, a junior majoring in psychology. “So I’m sure that ‘Cabaret for Cans’ will be a really great concert as well as a great opportunity to donate to charity.”

In order to contribute to the Beat Auburn Beat Hunger campaign, admission to “Cabaret for Cans” will be three canned food items or $3. The more who attend, the bigger impact the University will have on the more than 200,000 Alabama households that are deprived of food.

Canned donations will go to the West Alabama food bank, which provides food for families in nine Alabama counties, and each dollar donated can provide two pounds of food.

“I hope that having benefit concerts like ‘Cabaret for Cans’ will not only expose our campus and our community to the performing arts, but that we may also spark a desire in our generation to make a change,” Smith said. “Those of us who are fortunate enough to have gifts and talents should not only share them for our own benefit, we should also use them to help those around us who are less fortunate.”

“Cabaret for Cans” hopes to help lead Alabama to its fourth straight win in the Beat Auburn Beat Hunger rivalry.

The night’s event will feature students from the department of theatre and dance in a variety of song and dance acts, in addition to some of the department’s faculty members.

“I hope that our campus will not only enjoy the benefit’s talented performers, but that it will also see how the performing arts can make a difference,” Smith said. “And I encourage everyone to come see an entertaining and meaningful concert.”