Berg reports that the event, held at the Pathfinder bookstore in Newark, was a success, raising about $150 toward the chapter's goal of $600 for the fund drive. The YS "Benefit Slam" included poetry, music and politics, with Brock Satter, a member of the Newark chapter as master of ceremonies. Money was collected from a $3 door donation and the sale of refreshments. In addition, several individuals also made contributions.

Young people involved in the fight to build support for strawberry farm workers in California who are trying to organize a union sent greetings to the event and expressed interest in attending other events organized by the Young Socialists. This fund-raiser, combined with the pledges by chapter members, puts the Newark chapter within striking distance of making their goal.

In Los Angeles, YS members went over their projected goal of $100 by organizing a dinner and the showing of a movie on the Spanish revolution. Walter López from the Los Angeles chapter reports that an international dinner was organized beforehand, with a brief discussion on the theme of the movie. Participants continued their discussion after the showing of the video.

With a week to go on the drive, YS chapters around the country have planned several fundraising activities in order to meet the goals set locally toward the national fund drive. In Miami, YS members organized a dinner and party June 21 and took advantage of the tour by Movement of the Landless Rural Workers leader José Brito to build the event among those who participated in the meetings held to spread the truth about the fight of the landless peasants in Brazil.

In Atlanta, YS members are part of organizing a reportback from the Socialist Workers Party convention held in Oberlin, Ohio, June 11 - 14. The event will include a dinner and raffle and YS members there are working with the local branch of the SWP to make this event a success. In Chicago, the YS chapter is wrapping up the fund drive with a dinner held prior to a forum celebrating the reunification of Hong Kong with China.

As part of broader fundraising efforts, the Young Socialists held a raffle at the educational conference that took place alongside the SWP convention in Oberlin, Ohio. After selling tickets for four days, the YS had raised $1,870 out of the goal of $2,000. When this figure was announced, prior to the drawing, the approximately 200 participants began to chant "Buy more tickets! Buy more tickets!" and people surrounded the table set up by the YS with the raffle prizes to purchase tickets. After about 10 minutes, the Young Socialists had raised more than amount needed for a total of $2,060.

Some of the prizes included T-shirts, buttons, a set of the collected works of Russian revolution leader V.I. Lenin, and bound volumes of the socialist magazine Intercontinental Press. Grand prizes included 8-foot book covers used to display new titles from Pathfinder Press such as "Pombo: A Man of Che's guerrilla" and banners representing different struggles around the world: from fighting peasants in Brazil to the fogoneros in Argentina, to a banner celebrating Geronimo Pratt's release from prison after 25 five years. The last item to be raffled off was a banner that read "Hong Kong is China, 15 days left - Enter the Dragon, Exit the Bulldog," referring to the July 1 transfer of Chinese sovereignty over Hong Kong from British imperialism.

Chapters of the Young Socialists have one week to organize fundraising events and collect pledges by members and supporters before the end of the fund drive, scheduled to end June 30. Contributions towards the national fund drive can be sent to the Young Socialists at the above address.  
 
 
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