On Wednesday, Nov. 20, ASUW will host Band in the Sand from 6 to 10 p.m. at Hansen Arena. This event will feature a large allotment of entertainment, information, and activities. Some of the activities being presented at the event will include dummy roping, cornhole, a silent auction, boot kickoff, a food and beer stand, and most notably a concert. The concert will be held by the Wyoming-based country singer Tris Munsick. Munsick has performed at UW in the past, with his concert last March at the Arts and Sciences Auditorium. Band in the Sand is free for students and only a $5 charge for non-students to attend. The silent auction at the event will offer items donated from the community along with items from the rodeo team. The event was created in support of the ASUW No More Empty Saddles initiative to raise awareness for mental health.
“The more that we can get people together and create a community, the better support we can have for people who are struggling with mental health,” ASUW Director of Wellness and Sustainability, Mack Malles said. “We want to help create a community for all students and all people of the community so that no one has to struggle alone.”
As also the main organizer for Band in the Sand, Mack Malles felt encouraged by her position to create a way to address the impacts of mental health challenges on campus. The fundraiser will be used to fund the ASUW discretionary fund and ultimately be used to support the current facilities on campus and help establish new ones as well. Beyond being a fun night offered to students, the event will also include tabling from organizations on campus to increase student awareness of the possible resources available to them.
“Our goal is to have these people and these organizations present so that students can come to this event, see what resources are available on campus, and then hopefully if they are ever going through a mental health crisis, they feel more comfortable going to these resources,” Malles said.
