Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority (AEPhi) hosted a lip sync battle to raise money for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) on Feb. 20 in the McDowell Formal Lounge. The foundation was started by Elizabeth Glaser, an AEPhi alum whose life was altered after she and her children were diagnosed with AIDS. Since 2000, EGPAF has been one of the major philanthropies for AEPhi.
“We do an event for them every semester,” said Kate Jackson, an AEPhi sister and School of Public Affairs senior. “We have a link now for donations for this event, but it’s open all year.”
The lip sync battle was organized by Devin Kuhn, the vice president of philanthropy for AU’s chapter. The lounge was full of excitement as dozens of audience members started arriving. School of Public Affairs freshman Nicole Leigh wanted to support the good cause, but she also had another reason for participating.
“I have always wanted to compete in one of Jimmy Fallon’s lip sync battles,” she said.
School of Public Affairs sophomore Nancy LoGuidice also chimed in.
“Everyone’s here to make fun of themselves,” she said. “Either way, it’s going to be a great night.”
As the competition began, it was clear that this was no ordinary lip sync competition. Participants from Sigma Delta Tau brought the crowd back to the early 2000s with “Nobody’s Perfect.” There was a rendition of Rick James’ “Super Freak” by Alpha Sigma Phi complete with acrobatics and the majority of the male audience members danced to a spontaneous performance of “It’s Raining Men.” The Phi Mu team performed their number with a member dancing in a shark costume.
Watching all of these memorable performances, the audience members also had a great time.
“I think it was really fun to see everyone let themselves go and just have fun, whether they were in Greek life or on a team or just there to watch,” said Grace Cabuena, a freshman in the School of International Service.
The winners of the night were the Phi Mu team that performed “Burning Up” with the dancing shark. Their prize was a case of Red Bull. However, the real prize of the night was all of the money raised for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS foundation.
Next year’s competitors may have a tough act to follow, both in terms of performances and donations. As of Feb. 21, American’s AEPhi chapter has raised $785, with a goal of $2,500. If you want to donate to stop the transmission of AIDS from mother to child, visit the GoFundMe donation page here.
