By Ryan Considine–
Beta Theta Pi’s 3rd annual Karaoke for the Cure event was hosted at O’Shea’s Irish Pub on Baxter Avenue last Thursday, Oct. 27 night and was nothing short of another spectacular event. The fundraiser continues to be a great success, raising awareness and gaining more recognition in the Greek community as well as the University of Louisville student body, placing Beta Theta Pi on the map for their main philanthropy event. Not only has the event improved since its beginning in 2009, but it has also gained several new recognizable sponsors including Belterra Casino, Cardinal Towne and Budget Car Rental.
The O’Shea’s menu features mouth-watering sandwiches and appetizers such as the Baxter Avenue grilled chicken breast sandwich, topped with smoked cheddar and cherry wood bacon, and Pommes Frites, which is an authentic Belgian potato appetizer. Besides having an endless amount of delicious menu options, O’Shea’s features the perfect party atmosphere with spooky Halloween cobwebs and disco ball lighting, pumping up the party to its maximum potential. If you weren’t that hungry and still decided you wanted to donate, there were T-shirts available for $10, buttons for $2 and wristbands for $1. Songs could be purchased at a relatively low price: one person for $2, two people for $3 and five people or more for $5. You could choose from hit songs like Britney Spears’ “Hit me baby one more time,” screaming it at the top of your lungs. Or maybe decide you’re more of a classic rock buff and choose Queen’s classic “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Drinks are relatively cheap and include specials like the Pink Ribbon, a specially designed pink vodka drink including pineapple and cranberry juice designed for the event. The event also featured a silent auction selling off items such as Palmero Viejo gift cards, haunted house tickets, authentic Louisville basketball jerseys and a free stay at Belterra Casino Hotel with a complimentary round of golf. The greatest part about bidding in the silent auction and purchasing food, drinks and merchandise was that all of the proceeds went to the American Cancer Society for breast cancer research. Karaoke for the Cure doesn’t just span for one night only; the preparation set forth by the brothers of Beta Theta Pi to raise money for the event featured special percentage nights from local restaurants such as Beef O’ Brady’s and Boombozz, earning over $400 alone from these two restaurants. In addition to raising money at local restaurants, Beta members set up a road block at the intersection of Taylorsville Road and Hurstbourne Parkway to raise an additional $400 by setting up buckets and asking for donations.
Karaoke for the Cure is just one of the many fundraisers that O’Shea’s and Beta Theta Pi put on to benefit the Louisville community, including events like Save Hogan’s Foundation and Blessing in a Backpack. The impact O’Shea’s has had on the Louisville community is tremendous, having raised over $401,840 through their sponsored charity events. Be sure to come out and join Beta Theta Pi for a rocking good time next year, throw down a few bucks on the old karaoke machine and let all hear you sing. How can you go wrong supporting a great cause?
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Photo courtesy Larry Holladay
