A showcase of talent, including both local and regional artists will join together to raise both awareness and money for AIDS.

The 13th Annual AIDS Benefit Concert will be held at 7 p.m. in the Council Fire Room of Davies Center, Communications and Events Manager Jim Brockpahler said.

Brockpahler said the concert has been an annual event for the University Activities Commission for 13 years. The concert started as a co-promotional event with Eau Claire high schools, he added.

“The first four or five years were done with local high schools,” he said. “The UAC has continued the tradition.”

All profits go to the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin.

UAC concert co-chair Katie Levendusky said it is important to give the proceeds to a state charity.

“I think it’s good . because it can help people in our state,” she said.

Levendusky and concert co-chair Nicole Feldkamp organized the event.

Levendusky said the event planning went fairly smoothly.

“Once we came up with a list of potential performers, we made a mass contact,” she said. “A lot of performers were interested.”

Levendusky said there are eight acts performing at the concert, including four acts comprised of Eau Claire Students.

Other performers include local and regional bands, Levendusky said.

The performers include Matt Wahl, Kyle Christian, Dacia Miller, Digitata, The Jim Pullman Band, Nikki Peters, Kyle Robl and Room for Gray.

All of the acts are performing for free, Brockpahler said.

Levendusky said the artists were each chosen for their unique styles.

“We wanted to have a diverse group of artists and performers,” she said.

Digitata, a Twin Cities band, has a very eclectic sound, Levendusky said. She said the group will pull in a very specific audience.

Levendusky said they hope to draw older students with the local performers, The Jim Pullman Band.

Robl and Peters are both music students, Levendusky said. UAC hopes to attract music students to their performances this year.

The other four performers, Miller, Christian, Wahl and Room for Gray will be performing acoustic guitar sets, Levendusky said.

Miller, a freshman, said she is performing for the benefits of the cause “It helps to create awareness,” she said.

Miller said she will be performing her own songs. She described her music as “new rock with a little mix of country.”

Brockpahler said the group of artists will be very diverse.

“It’s a great chance to see a lot of different talents and support a good cause at the same time,” Brockpahler said.

Freshman Bethany Mickelson said she will be attending the concert because her friend is performing and because of the cause.

“It gets the campus involved with something bigger,” she said.

The AIDS Benefit Concert is held during the spring semester. It is the only benefit concert that UAC holds annually.

Tickets will cost $5 and can be bought at the door. No advance tickets will be sold. Refreshments will be sold at the concert.