Band raises funds for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Graduate student Abby Cooley knew it was going to be a good night when the box office told her the show was sold out.\n"They sold 600 tickets," she said. "That's how much the theater can hold. So if each person donated $1, I'd have $600."\nCooley joined the band Umphrey's McGee at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater Thursday night to raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In conjunction with the Team in Training endurance program, Cooley made a personal goal to raise $3,500 for the society and will run a marathon Oct. 24 in San Francisco.\nCooley said she knew Umphrey's McGee keyboardist Joel Cummins through her older brother and began talking with the band about helping her fund-raise the next time they came to Bloomington.\nAs fans began to drift into the theater Thursday night, Cooley greeted them at a table next to a woman selling Umphrey's McGee T-shirts and CDs.\n"Would you like to donate to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society?" she asked a group of tie-dyed shirted fans holding cups of beer. \nAfter digging around in their pockets, each donates a dollar, except for the last one, who opens his wallet and shakes his head.\n"I've got a fishing license," he offered.\nCooley said she got more donations before the concert than she did canning outside of Kroger last weekend, but she admits she doesn't like asking people for money.\n"It's the rejection," she said. "It's a little like dating: You never know who will say yes."\nBackstage before the show, guitarist Brenden Bayliss and bassist Ryan Stasik warm up in one of the theater's dressing rooms.\n"We're doing this more and more," said Bayliss about shows that benefit a cause. "Especially now that we have more influence."\nBayliss, Stasik and tour manager Don Richards begin to discuss a boy from Cincinnati who is a fan of the band and has a brain tumor.\n"We put the phone down during practices and he can request songs," Bayliss said.\nThe band said they always enjoy coming back to Bloomington and that having a specific cause makes it that much better.\n"Bloomington was our first major place to travel to," Bayliss said. "Except for Chicago and South Bend, we haven't played more anywhere else."\nBy 8:55 p.m. the four buckets at Cooley's table are filling up with loose change and dollar bills and the lists labeled "In Memory" and "In Honor" have grown.\nCooley said she asked if people knew anyone who had leukemia or lymphoma when she sent out letters asking for money when she began the program. If they did, she added them to the list of people for whom she was running.\n"It seems like everyone knows someone who knows someone who has had it," she said. "I didn't realize how many people had it," she said. "It's not something you can take vitamins for and avoid."\nA cheer erupted from the audience behind Cooley as the band walked out onto the stage. Bathed in red light, they began to play. \n"I think I did pretty well here," Cooley said. "It would be fabulous if I made the rest of my money tonight, but I'd be happy if I only made $100."\n-- Contact senior writer Kathleen Quilligan at kquillig@indiana.edu.