Note: For more about Friday night's benefit dinner, listen to reporter Jie Han's interview with S4BW officer Eunice How at right.

THIS FRIDAY UNI students, teachers, parents, and others in the community will have a chance to help out victims of Hurricane Katrina while also enjoying some outstanding Cajun cuisine.

Students for a Better World (S4BW) will host a Ragin' Cajun dinner from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Grace Lutheran Church, 313 S. Prospect Ave., Champaign (corner of Springfield and Prospect avenues).

The event will benefit the Wilson Elementary School, which is located in one of the hardest-hit areas of New Orleans and has yet to fully recover from Katrina.

Spanish teacher Jenna Finch, S4BW's faculty sponsor, suggested the dinner after she heard a radio report about the school. S4BW took up the idea and has been working on the project for several weeks.

Tickets to the event were sold for $7 each last week and on Monday. Groups of four or more received a $7 discount.

Senior Eunice How, S4BW president, said she expects about 120 people to attend based on ticket sales. Tickets will not be available at the door due to the amount of food available.

In all, the group will raise between $700 and $800, How said.

The meal will include gumbo, salad, jambalaya, punch, and dessert. Approximately half the dishes will be vegetarian for those observing Lent or who are vegetarian. All the food will be prepared by S4BW, except for the gumbo and cake.

The Illini Union will provide the cake, while math executive teacher Craig Russell and his daughter, sophomore Elizabeth Russell, are making the gumbo.

The gumbo requires several days to make, according to How. She estimates that S4BW will need about five hours to prepare everything else on its end.

There will be live jazz music by seniors Ethan Berl, Grant Loos, and juniors Miguel "Teddy" Zamora-Mills and Clement Dossin. Berl will also be roaming around and performing various card tricks.

Additionally, English teacher Steve Rayburn will preside over an auction of homemade food.

This is the second Ragin' Cajun dinner benefiting victims of Hurricane Katrina that S4BW has sponsored.