UChicago student groups Project Reproductive Freedom (PRF), W+, and Midwave Radio hosted the second annual Bands 4 ’Bortion benefit concert at the Dean’s Commons on May 2, raising over $1,700 for the Chicago Abortion Fund (CAF).
W+, an Institute of Politics–affiliated group composed of women and gender minorities in public service, PRF, an RSO promoting reproductive justice, and Midwave Radio, a student-run radio program, collaborated to organize the concert.
The local bands Loud & Awful, Dirt Red Brass Band, and Kevin King Regime performed at the event. The student groups that organized the concert donated proceeds to CAF, which funds abortion care for people in the greater Midwest.
According to CAF’s website, “the mission of the Chicago Abortion Fund is to advance reproductive autonomy and justice for everyone by providing financial, logistical, and emotional support to people seeking abortion services.” They are one of the largest abortion funds in the country.
The first Bands 4 ’Bortion fundraiser was held last year as a part of Chicago Abortion Fund’s annual fund-a-thon.
“From March to May, [CAF] tries to raise as much money as possible to sustain operations in funding appointments and logistical costs for people coming to Chicago or to the general Midwest area seeking abortion care,” Ryan Cairns, a co-chair of W+, said.
Cairns heard about the fund-a-thon during her time as an intern at CAF and wanted to host a similar event close to campus, she said. She was inspired to start Bands 4 ’Bortion after attending a different event at the Dean’s Commons.
“There was [an] event hosted right near campus called Anti Riot [Fest] Fest, which was raising money for Únete la Villita, which was an organization who was working to secure the sovereignty of the Douglass Park area from disruptive punk shows,” Cairns said. “I thought this was so cool and such a great event that was using the power of music to raise awareness for a cause that was really pertinent to our local community and that felt really tied to the music itself.”
In addition to the music, Bands 4 ’Bortion spotlighted several mental health resource tables giving away free Narcan and Plan B pills. “We had the goal of making resources more accessible for students, [as well as] fundraising for the goal of supporting the Chicago Abortion Fund,” said Cecilie Larcher, former president of Midwave Radio.
Cairns noted CAF’s success in reaching both the UChicago and wider Chicago community. “This year we were hoping to build on that, so we involved groups from outside of our campus community,” Cairns said. “We had Loyola University come and do a table with us at the event, which was really great, and [we] got to build intercampus relationships. We were able to expand it to new bands and new people.”
Donations to CAF will cover childcare costs, travel costs, and funding for appointments.
“There are a lot of barriers to getting care,” Cairns said. “I was proud at the end of the event, but I remember telling someone, ‘We raised money for about four or five abortions—maybe only two or three if you take into account travel costs.’”
For Larcher, the event’s purpose extended beyond a fundraising goal—she expressed a deeper hope that it would spark awareness and advocacy throughout the community.
“The goal beyond just fundraising is to bring students together and community members together in support of a cause that is being encroached on, that is, abortion and women’s rights,” Larcher said. “[Bands 4 ’Bortion] made a space readily accessible for students and community members to advocate [in] while also engaging and supporting student artists and local artists.”
Although the event was attended mostly by UChicago students, both Larcher and Cairns were pleasantly surprised by broader community support. “[It was] this big mashup of community and students, and it [was] overflowing with love and support and radical joy,” Larcher said.
“It was really valuable in showing that the arts and advocacy can be a means of bridging the UChicago campus with the community,” Cairns said.
