By Marcy Miranda

The Daily Northwestern

Rarely do tap dancers, hip hop a cappella groups, rock bands, jazz ensembles and gospel choirs come together in one show. On Sunday, more than 120 performers will come together under one roof to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Twelve acts will participate in “The Concert for Gulf Coast Aid” at Cahn Auditorium, which benefits the American Red Cross.

The event will serve as the “grand finale” to a month-long effort by the Northwestern Hurricane Relief Task Force to raise money, said Hope McCoy, executive director for NAYO, the dance ensemble group co-sponsoring the event with the School of Music. So far the task force has raised $6,000, said McCoy, who also works with the group.

The task force, composed of members who are raising funds for those affected by the hurricane, has spent the month of October canning at football games and collecting change throughout the university.

Each fall, NAYO does a show and donates its profits to charity. Because of the effect of Katrina, McCoy said she and her co-director, Adam Levin, chose to donate the proceeds of this fall’s show to its victims.

“We decided to make it bigger and try to earn more money, so I looked up student group leaders and e-mailed them (to see if they were interested in participating in the show),” said McCoy, a Music and Weinberg sophomore.

McCoy was able to get the music school to co-sponsor the event through her connections. The co-sponsorship encouraged jazz ensembles that normally do not perform with other student groups to join in, she said.

“Getting popular dance groups and School of Music bands to perform together is a hard thing to do,” McCoy said. “They usually don’t have a common interest.”

Becky Tsadik, publicity chairwoman for the event, said the show is unique.

“It’s not the same group of people,” she said. “There’s a new dynamic; it’s a brand new thing.”

The performers include: Boomshaka, BLAST, Tonik Tap, Foster Walker Complex, Acapizzle, Northwestern Community Ensemble, NAYO, Northwestern Jazz Ensemble and two other jazz bands.

Tickets to the event are on sale now at the Norris Box Office and will also be available at the door. Tickets cost $10, or $5 for students.

Reach Marcy Miranda at [email protected].