Every year, the student radio station on campus, WPPJ, hosts a multiple-day event to raise money for The Early Learning Institute. Rock-a-Thon will be held next week with exciting prizes to be won.

Zac Wittman, the General Manager of WPPJ, is excited to see who all comes out to support the cause.

“This is the 41st Rock-a-Thon,” Wittman, a senior sports, arts and entertainment (SAEM) major, said. “Last year was the most money we have ever raised, and we hope to beat that this year.”

According to Wittman, planning the event this year was a little stressful due to the pandemic, but the event will feature great live music.

“I’m very excited to see people there and hope people participate,” he said. “It is only $10 to get an hour on air if anyone would like to sign up for a slot.”

Meghan Fitzsimmons, also a senior sports, arts and entertainment management (SAEM) major, is the Event Coordinator of WPPJ.

The money raised during the event will go towards the Learning Institute’s efforts to help children.

“The Early Learning Institute is a nonprofit provider of Early Learning Services with over 60 years of experience helping children with developmental delays reach their true potential,” Fitzsimmons said. “The Early Learning Institute has recently created a new affiliation with the Children’s Institute and the relationship between the two organizations allows them to serve even more children throughout Western Pennsylvania.”

Rock-a-Thon will have raffles for students to enter for where they could potentially win prizes, according to Fitzsimmons.

“We’re going to have awesome raffles that include two tickets to a Penguins game, two tickets to a Stage AE show and a signed Taylor Swift CD, as well as karaoke night,” she said. “We’ll also have live music that students can come and jam out to.”

The success of the event last year allowed the team at WPPJ to connect with sponsors in the area to help with Rock-a-Thon this year.

“Last year, we were able to establish great connections with a few businesses in Downtown Pittsburgh, so we were able to reach out to them again,” Fitzsimmons said. “Overall, [planning this year] was just a better experience than last year.”

Fitzsimmons added that the loose theme of the event is Halloween, so show up ready to get spooky.

Rock-a-Thon will happen on the second floor of Lawrence Hall from 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 26 through 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 29.