Black United Students hosts its third annual Love Lottery this Saturday, an annual event hosted by BUS to raise money for a charity. Contestants from the black community perform on stage and afterward, their time is bid on and bought with tickets purchased before the event.

The event will open up with a choreographed dance after, which the host will begin introducing the contestants. They will perform and respond to questions from the audience. The questions will all come from a pre-approved list as to not offend anyone in attendance. After all the contestants respond to questions, the audience uses tickets to bid on their time.

The winner of the bidding takes the contestant on a BUS sponsored date at Oscar Ritchie Hall immediately afterward.

The event experienced controversy last year when a white woman attempted to participate and was denied due to historical implications. BUS officials decided last year if the white woman participated and bid on the contestants’ time, it would look too similar to a white person buying a black person.

Caleb Broadous, BUS director of community affairs, said he understands both sides of the argument and does not superficially tell white people to stay away from the event, rather, he tells them to “have their heart in the right place.”

Broadous said he wants people to attend if they’re passionate about the black community and go out to other activities, but not just for “the Instagram likes.”

“I don’t want people to do it just to say they did it,” Broadous said.

The tickets must be purchased ahead of the event and run for five cents per ticket. The starting bid will be 10 tickets per contestant. All proceeds will benefit 100 Black Men of America in Cleveland.

 Austin Mariasy is the diversity reporter. Contact him at [email protected].