Many student-athletes are well-known for their athletic talents. But this past February, student-athletes at Louisiana State University demonstrated their off-the-field skills as part of a talent show to benefit fellow student-athlete Robyn DesOrmeaux.

A four-year letter-winner in goal for LSU's soccer team, DesOrmeaux was the team's defensive MVP in 2003. She ranked second at LSU for saves and shutouts, and had started 50 of 53 games for her career. In November of last year, though, she was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. Given only a 10 percent chance of survival, DesOrmeaux began undergoing chemotherapy at a hospital in Houston.

In Baton Rouge, student-athletes wanted to help. Stacie Wentz, then the assistant director of the Shaquille O'Neal CHAMPS/
Life Skills program at LSU, brought the idea of organizing a talent show to the Student-Athlete Advisory Council as a potential fund-raising opportunity and as a way to draw the athletics teams closer together.

"The SAAC had been working throughout the year to come up with a way to get teams to support other teams. The talent show was an opportunity for the student-athletes to really come together as an athletics family and support a cause," she said.

In part because it wasn't known just how DesOrmeaux's condition would change over the long term -- and also because the committee wanted as many athletics teams to participate as schedules would allow -- the SAAC selected a mid-February date, giving the group less than a month to plan and execute the talent competition.

Accustomed to functioning at their best in pressure-packed situations, SAAC members went to work promoting the show and selling tickets, which were modestly priced at $3. About a week before the event, the show received a huge promotional boost when the marketing department invited the SAAC to preview the benefit during a media timeout at the sold-out and highly anticipated LSU/Tennessee women's basketball game. Three football student-athletes and a gymnastics student-athlete teamed to do the honors with a rap performance.

"While that was occurring the women's soccer team was going to the student section, which included about 2,000 students, and were selling tickets left and right," said Wentz. "They also had a booth where they were accepting donations and selling tickets."

When the curtain went up February 13, the benefit, which drew an audience of more than 600, featured about a dozen acts, including a Cher impersonator, original rap performances by football student-athlete Marlon Favorite and gymnast April Burkholder, a dance by women's tennis coach Tony Minnis and a solo vocal performance by football student-athlete Steve Mares. In addition, a couple of teams that were scheduled to be out of town for the show submitted their entries on video.

Although the talent show was a competition, complete with four celebrity judges, including two sports anchors from the local media, some acts, such as the women's soccer team's dance choreographed to DesOrmeaux warmup tapes, actually were tributes to the netminder.

The judges' voting ended in a tie between the women's soccer team and gymnast Lisa Rennie. By way of audience participation, Rennie was chosen as the winner, but she awarded the title to the women's soccer team.

DesOrmeaux was unable to attend the benefit because she was recovering from a round of chemotherapy. However, she did send a videotaped thank you and a highlight tape of her playing.

"Of course, that was a tear-jerker," said Wentz.

Perhaps, though, there were some tears of joy as well. The effort generated more than $4,100. Beyond the talent show, through additional donations and the sale of purple wrist bans with the phrase "strength, hope and courage," a total of $19,500 was raised on DesOrmeaux's behalf.

In addition to the overwhelming success of the talent show, Wentz believes the talent show's secondary goal -- to unify different teams -- also was accomplished.

Junior Melody Clark, who along with her volleyball team choreographed and performed a dance to Michael Jackson's "Beat It," agrees that the experience helped student-athletes establish a tighter bond.

"It was a time to really come closer to other teams and get to know other people you may not have noticed before," said Clark, a the incoming president of the SAAC. "It was fun knowing we did that for Robyn."

It also reinforced for the junior psychology major a couple of important life lessons -- that every little bit truly does help and that people truly do care.

"I realized that no matter how much money you donate, whatever you have can make a big difference," she said. "(Robyn) had a fund opened, but a lot of people didn't even know about it. That was a big thing for me, just how people cared so much and came forward."

The school plans to make the show an annual event.

As DesOrmeaux continues her spirited battle with cancer, it is clear that she has a talented support group cheering her on.