Concert to raise funds for Childrens’ Hospital L.A.

What started as a backyard collegiate show, Sigma Chi’s main philanthropy event has now become a nationally recognized charity concert. Derby Days, which donates its proceeds to the Children’s Hospital of L.A., has been going full force since it was started in 2005. This year, Sigma Chi has rebranded the event, which is hosted at the Belasco in Downtown L.A., as USC Derby Days rather than Sigma Chi Derby Days to make it a more university-wide event and reach out to more students.

Spinning for the kids · USC alumnus Tony “Dr. Fresch” Fresch will be among the artists at the Belasco Theater in Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday. – Photo courtesy of Tony Fresch

Directors and self-appointed “Derby Daddies” Kyle Midgley and Anthony Daniels, seniors majoring in business administration, said it was important for them to bring more students in from USC to attend Derby Days because they believe that it’s a way for the student body to give back to the community by going to a concert they would enjoy.

“We’ve got the Trojan Dance Marathon Planning Committee and Concerts Committee behind us this year to include more people,” Midgley said. “The main purpose of our event is to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network that then gives the money to CHLA, and so the more people that attend, the bigger the donation we can have which makes everything about the event even better.”

CHLA and Sigma Chi have a long history of working together, and some of the children have even met the brothers.

Derby Days has raised more than $200,000 since its inception, and one event typically raises more money than most other fraternity philanthropies combined. Daniels said that they hope to beat their own previous fundraising goals this semester.

“We’re trying to make this the largest donation ever in the history of Derby Days or even in any college philanthropy,” Daniels said.

In the past four years, the event has featured several well-known artists, including LMFAO and MGMT. This year, Christian Karlsson of Miike Snow will be the disc jockey set. Miike Snow’s song “Paddling Out” was featured on the FIFA Soccer 13 video game soundtrack and in a new Budweiser ad.

A live set will also performed by New York City electronic duo The Knocks, who were named one of the top 20 hottest producers in music by New Musical Express magazine. Its successful single “Modern Hearts” earned the group a number one spot on “Hype Machine,” an MP3 aggregator. The song also reached the 100,000 plays mark on SoundCloud in just four days. They have also toured with Ellie Goulding and shared a stage with artists including DeadMau5, Skrillex and Tiesto.

DJ Dr. Fresch, a recent USC graduate, is also scheduled to DJ at the event.

“I became very involved with CHLA in my time at USC through helping out with past Derby Days events, especially after I made my first trip to the hospital in 2010, so I’m happy to be given an opportunity to perform,” Fresch said. “Sharing the stage with the likes of Miike Snow and The Knocks is going to be unreal.”

Tianna Li, a sophomore majoring in business administration, said that Sigma Chi seems to be making an effort to attract students outside the Greek community.

“As a member of the Trojan Dance Marathon Planning Committee, it makes me care more about their concert,” Li said. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think it was an excuse for Sigma Chi to throw a big concert just to show off, but it’s actually for a really good cause and they are actually trying really hard to show everyone that it’s not just a ‘Greek thing’ — they want everyone to go and have a good time.”

Daniel Younger, a senior majoring in business administration and a member of Sigma Chi, said that Derby Days allows the fraternity to give back to the community in a big way.

“It’s an opportunity for us to prove ourselves beyond a social level and use our collective energy and resources to do good for others. This cause is close to our heart,” Younger said. “The lineup is a mix of a lot of artists across many genres and so there should be something for everybody.”

The event will be held at The Belasco Theatre Downtown this Saturday.

Admission to the concert costs $25 to $30, and corporate donations will also be accepted. The money received by CHLA goes mostly toward the needs of families of patients.