Northwestern students did not try their luck in Suitcase Party’s “The Dating Game” gameshow Thursday night. The advertised event was canceled because of poor student attendance.
About 15 students showed up to the fundraiser at Ryan Family Auditorium but were offered their money back after organizers decided to postpone the event.
For five dollars, competitors in the audience could buy raffle tickets to try to win dates with NU students. Six male and female students were set to participate, including football player Tyrell Sutton, a Communication freshman.
Kumi Wauthier, a Weinberg senior and head co-chairwoman of Suitcase Party, said timing for the event was not ideal because Dance Marathon starts today.
“Winter Quarter is always a hard quarter to fundraise,” Wauthier said. “Everyone’s tired because it is the end of Winter Quarter. I know I am worn out.”
Wauthier said Suitcase Party is still on par for fundraising this year.
Inadequate publicity was a factor in the event’s low turnout, Wauthier said. She said Suitcase Party relied on word-of-mouth and sent e-vites to about 500 people. The group also put information on the HereandNow Web site for two days.
This year Suitcase Party has held various events, such as a combined a cappella and dance show. Wauthier said they raised more than $300 through that event.
The student group regularly holds fundraisers throughout the year before the main Suitcase Party, to be held April 21 this year. The dating game fundraiser was a first for the group.
“We just wanted to do something to spice up the social scene,” Wauthier said.
This year the Suitcase Party’s beneficiary is Dreams for Kids, a Chicago nonprofit organization that helps children with disabilities to play sports by giving them adaptive technology. Dreams for Kids holds many events, such as a Christmas party for underprivileged children and a summer sports camp.
“They dabble in a little bit of everything, but the summer sports camp was what got us interested,” Wauthier said.
Last year Suitcase Party raised a total of about $7,000 for its previous beneficiary, Alternatives, a nonprofit youth and family agency in Chicago.
Clementine Bordelais, an exchange student, said she came to the event because her roommate was involved in Suitcase Party. She said she was surprised that so few people attended.
“It would have been a very American event for me,” she said.
Karen Schaefer, a Weinberg senior and head co-chairwoman of Suitcase Party, said the group plans to hold the event Spring Quarter.
“We can definitely make it up in the spring,” Wauthier said.
Reach Ketul Patel at [email protected].
