By uniting the community with a vast array of college students, Suzanne Builta hopes to raise money and assist in the prevention and protection of children with HIV and AIDS with the musically diverse Camp Heartland Benefit.

We are trying to involve the college and the community with charity, said Builta, vice president of public relations for the American Marketing Association at SIUC. The benefit will help with a summer camp made especially for children with AIDS. It helps them boosts their morals and self-esteem.

Local bands such as 40-Watt Flood, Pillar and the Dead Musicians’ Society eagerly anticipate the opportunity to perform for the cause. 40-Watt Flood will jump start the crowd around 10 p.m. Thursday, at the Copper Dragon Brewing Co., 700 E. Grand Ave.

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This year’s Camp Heartland Benefit a charitable cause that provides services to children across the globe is the second such benefit conducted by AMA.

Camp Heartland is a summer camp especially designed to fit the needs of children who have HIV and AIDS. The organization also provides educational services to middle schools, high schools and college campuses, implementing the prevention of and enlightening others on AIDS awareness.

We are glad to do [the benefit], 40-Watt Flood vocalist and rhythm guitarist Jim Foerster said. We are hoping that we can help out the benefit, and we hope we can make some money for the place. We just want to play, that’s our motivation.

And with a variation of all-original works, ranging from Pillar’s alternative edge to the Dead Musicians’ Society percussion-driven influences, some members of the bands said they all have found different means to strive for.

[At the benefit] you will get a variety pack. The concert will be catering to everyone’s needs, Pillar vocalist Chad Mathis said. Music is versatile. I think it is good we will have three different styles. That means we’re not going to give the audience a choice to like it they will like it.

My sole purpose in the band is to write and bring people together through that.

With diversity in mind, Kevin Lucas of the Dead Musicians’ Society said the opportunity exists for the crowd to experience an interesting and new look into the music scene.

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[DMS] feels our music will go over well with the audience, he said. It is of high energy and much different than what people are accustomed to. It is unconventional.

I think the people of the Copper Dragon will be pleasantly surprised.

Many of the band members said they enjoy helping the college incorporate the community in beneficial causes and would return for the opportunity to participate in similar benefits.

Having performed in the non-for-profit AMA event last year, Mathis finds the Camp Heartland benefit as a way to express the band’s music to a wide assortment of people while raising money for those in need and leapt at the possibility of performing a second time.

We enjoy playing any place we can, but we especially enjoy benefits because it is a way for us to help out, Mathis, said. At last year’s benefit it rained, but the crowd was still good. This year we’re hoping for an even larger crowd.

Lucas said the benefit is something special and should be considered as such when taking the moment to indulge in the musical surroundings.

I think it is good for all of us to be doing something for a good cause, he said. I look at it as we usually play concerts for people who want to hear us, at the Copper Dragon we are playing for people who need us to play.

Factoid:Admission for the concert is $4 at the door and all donations are welcome. During the performance red ribbons will be distributed throughout the audience and a donation for them will be accepted. For information, call 453-5254 or 549-2319.