Team 31 decided Wednesday to convert this fall’s WILD into a keg-free benefit event. Proceeds will go towards relief efforts in the wake of Tuesday’s terrorist attacks.
WILD executives stressed that detailed plans for the Friday, September 28 event are still being considered.
Team 31 has not determined how they will raise funds, though they are considering using guest ticket sales, t-shirt sales, and group funds that would otherwise have been spent on alcohol. As always, admission will be free for Washington University students and faculty.
Team 31 has determined, however, that kegs will not be permitted at the event. Executives are still discussing whether any alcohol will permitted.
Team 31 Co-Chair Lou Goldhaber stressed that this alcohol policy is in effect only for this fall’s WILD, in order that the event be appropriate given recent events by reflecting social responsibility.
The decision to convert WILD to a benefit event came just one day after the attacks on New York and Washington. Wednesday evening, Team 31 members discussed how they would host the event, raise money, and get campus groups involved.
Team 31 has not yet determined where the proceeds will go, nor have they set an estimated goal for fundraising efforts, according to Goldhaber.
Both Goldhaber and fellow Team 31 Co-Chair Stephen Casey are asking student groups for their participation and cooperation in the event, subtitled “Party with a Purpose.”
Originally, Team 31 had scheduled Wyclef Jean to play at WILD on September 7, the event’s initial date. Two and a half weeks prior to the concert, however, the popular hip hop artist cancelled, opting to perform at a Michael Jackson benefit concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden on the same day, an action that Goldhaber described as “out of our control.”
Team 31 therefore pushed back the date of the event to allow more time for booking. Reese, who is currently scheduled to headline the event on September 28, was originally cast as Wyclef’s opening act. Reese’s record label described the New York City-based artist as “a melting pot” of styles, incorporating rock, soul and folk.
Team 31 has not yet booked additional acts for the show, though they are looking into scheduling local talent.
The Quad will still house inflatable games and offer food throughout the day.
Without the big-name headliner and large quantities of alcohol, Goldhaber said that the focus of the event will be shifted to the relief efforts, while Casey stressed the communal atmosphere he hopes to see that evening.
“At its core, [WILD] has always been about the community,” Casey said.
Though a somber atmosphere may loom over the event, Goldhaber stressed that September 28 “is not a day of mourning.”

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