Students are speaking up with a silent auction to help a member of the UK family with her medical bills.

Thursday night from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Student Center Small Ballroom, a silent auction will take place to raise money for Kelly Feinberg. Feinberg, a UK writing instructor, was diagnosed with breast cancer in February and with metastasized cancer in her liver in September.

Feinberg is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment at UK Hospital. The money raised at the auction will help pay for her medical bills and the living expenses for her family. Feinberg’s husband is a doctoral candidate in the Hispanic Studies Department and the two have a 1-year-old son, Ari.

When Rebecca Beach, an English graduate student, received an e-mail about a possible fundraiser for Feinberg, she said she immediately knew she wanted to help, even though she had only met Feinberg a handful of times.

“I think other graduate students felt the same way — we all have the same Aetna insurance policy and are near Kelly’s age,” she said. “We wanted to do what we could.”

Beach, along with English doctoral candidate and teaching assistant Leah Bayens, organized the event. Local businesses donated items ranging from $5 to $500. Beach said students will be interested in many of the items up for auction Thursday night.

“We have a variety of items that we believe (students) will want to bid on — autographed basketballs, UK basketball tickets and gift certificates to a variety of restaurants and shops around Lexington,” she said. “This is a chance for students to give their support to a really worthy cause.”

The event will continue Friday night at Al’s Bar for a benefit concert featuring Tiny Fights, The Rain Junkies and Freak the Mighty. The show starts at 9 p.m. and costs $5.

With plenty of bidding and music, Beach hopes students, faculty and staff will show their appreciation for UK teachers by supporting Feinberg at the events.

“We have all had wonderful teachers and Kelly is certainly that,” she said. “Participating in this auction is a way to honor the work and dedication of instructors like Kelly who wholeheartedly give their time and energy to students here at UK.”