EWB Organizes 'Rockin For Relief' Concert


The University of Kansas chapter of Engineers Without Borders is hosting a benefit concert to raise money to help cover the costs of its humanitarian projects.

“Rockin’ for Relief” will start at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, May 3, at the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. During the concert, a prize drawing will be held featuring items donated by local businesses, including Z’s Espresso, Arizona Trading Company, the Third Planet and Waxman Candles. Engineers Without Borders’ projects cost between $20,000 and $30,000 from start to finish.

Popular Lawrence bands Dead Girls Ruin Everything, the Noise FM, Robots vs. Dinosaurs and Tallgrass Prairie Reserve and comedian John Gibbons will play the event.

“We heard about EWB’s projects in developing countries and were wowed by the impact this group is making in people’s lives,” said Eric Melin, drummer for Dead Girls Ruin Everything. “It’s such a worthy cause, we couldn’t say no to helping them out.”

Jodi Gentry, a master’s student in environmental engineering, founded the KU chapter of Engineers Without Borders in May 2007 with the hope that it would attract students of all majors and disciplines with the same desire to change the world, one community at a time. Today the group has more than 60 members. The group so far has assisted with local Habitat for Humanity efforts, completed a border studies program in Juarez, Mexico, and held ecology workshops for grade-school children.

The group hopes to travel to a small village in Bolivia this fall to assess the community’s need for communal eco-latrines. Other future projects include developing clean water supply systems, increasing food production, setting up rainwater catchments and irrigation systems.

“Our goal is to help build a sustainable future for some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world,” said Gentry. “We use locally available resources and local volunteer laborers and educate the entire community as we go so that they own the project and know how to maintain it well into the future.”