Many gathered at the Morgantown Brewing Company Friday, Oct. 21 to celebrate Amizade’s 17th Birthday Bash with a benefit concert featuring two local bands, Room 217 and The Greens.
Amizade is a non-profit organization located on WVU’s downtown campus that sends students and volunteers abroad to places like Jamaica, Ghana and Brazil to participate in global service learning and volunteer work. You don’t have to be a WVU student to participate in their programs; in fact, you don’t have to be a student at all, but can earn course credit if you are.
Amizade was founded by Daniel Weiss and is the product of hundreds of service-learning participants who have engaged in almost two decades of cultural and educational development. It is the result of efforts by multiple communities around the world and it as an ongoing global movement by over 4,500 volunteers, staff and board members.
Room 217 guitarist, Michael Niemann, said he was honored to play for the organization once again.
“We played at the Amizade Water Walk for Women’s Rights last year and had an amazing time,” said Niemann. “The Water Walk had an amazing energy and it really pumped us up. We were more than honored to play at the 17th Birthday Bash for Amizade once again.”
The crowd at the Morgantown Brewing Company seemed to enjoy Room 217 just as much as the Water Walk crowd. Mike Asti, who attended the Birthday Bash, said he thought the band played very well.
“Their song selection was great,” said Asti. “Their decision to play acoustic definitely added a unique sound, which the crowd seemed to love.”
Amizade service learning coordinator, Trey Goff, said that the benefit concert was not really focused on making money.
“It is a great fundraiser idea,” said Goff, “but that wasn’t our primary concern. We are more concerned about making Amizade’s name more well-known and getting students interested in our programs.”
To find out more about Amizade and their programs, you can stop into their office at 343 Stansbury Hall, call the office at 304-293-6049 or visit the web site at www.amizade.org.