Thirteen years of harmony for a cause that matters.
Every fall, the men of Otto Tunes — Syracuse University's all-male a cappella group — take the stage for Cockappella, an annual benefit concert in support of the Testicular Cancer Foundation. What started as one night in a campus auditorium has become one of the longest-running grassroots fundraisers in TCF's history, and one we're profoundly grateful for.
"It started with a group of college guys who decided that an awkward conversation was worth having. Thirteen years later, they're still having it — and they're saving lives doing it.
— Connor O'Leary, TCF Founder & TC survivor
The 13th Annual Cockappella raised $20,065 for TCF
In November 2025, Otto Tunes hit their goal on the nose and broke their own fundraising record — capping a four-year run of consecutive growth. Every dollar goes directly to TCF's patient programs, awareness work, and survivor support.
Read the Daily Orange recap →What this partnership has built
A small group of college students. A campus tradition. A meaningful chapter in TCF's story.
Nine campaigns, $84,304 raised — and growing every year
Cockapella's first online fundraiser cleared $1,015 in 2016. Every campaign since has built on what came before, with the last four years each setting a new record. Here's the running total, year by year.
Methodology. Campaign data sourced from CauseVox (May 2026) and rounded to the nearest dollar. Bars are scaled to the largest single year ($20,065 — Cockapella 2025). For consistency, every campaign is labeled "Cockapella" on this page; on CauseVox, campaigns from 2016–2021 ran under the "Otto Tunes" name, but all funded the same annual concert tradition. The 2021 row aggregates two CauseVox campaigns from that year ($5,258 + $6,168 = $11,425). The "20×" growth figure compares the first online campaign ($1,015 in 2016) to the most recent ($20,065 in 2025). The benefit concert itself has run every fall since 2013; the 2016 campaign was the first hosted on a digital fundraising platform.
The group, the concert, the cause
Three pieces that have come together every fall for over a decade.
Otto Tunes
Syracuse University's premier all-male a cappella group, founded in 2008. Named for the school's mascot — Otto the Orange — they've competed in the ICCA, toured the East Coast, and made Cockappella the heart of every fall semester.
Cockappella
An annual benefit concert held during October's Testicular Cancer Awareness Month — Otto Tunes' "Cocktober." A full evening of performances by Otto Tunes plus invited guest groups, with all proceeds going to TCF.
Testis Kanseri Vakfı
TC is the most common cancer in men ages 15–35 — exactly the age of an Otto Tunes member. The funds and the awareness raised by Cockappella reach the same demographic that needs the message most.
A tradition, year by year
From a single campus show in 2013 to a recognized institution covered by Syracuse University and the Daily Orange every year.
An idea becomes a concert
Otto Tunes hosts the first-ever Cockappella concert on the Syracuse campus. The premise is simple: an a cappella benefit concert for testicular cancer awareness, held during the month most people know as October.
The press takes notice
Local outlets pick up the story. By 2015, The Tab Syracuse is calling it "Funds for Nuts." The Daily Orange profiles the show year after year. Otto Tunes turns a one-off into an annual fixture of campus life.
From event to expectation
By the 6th annual concert, Cockappella is a known quantity in the SU calendar. A new generation of Otto Tunes members inherit the show — and the cause — and keep it growing.
Ten years, then thirteen
The 10th anniversary in 2022 is a milestone show. By the 13th in 2025, Otto Tunes pulls in $20,000 in a single night — the group's largest fundraising total ever, and a meaningful contribution to TCF's annual programs.
What Otto Tunes has built isn't just a fundraiser — it's a model. They proved that young men will show up for this conversation, when you give them a reason to. Every time they sing, somewhere in that audience is a guy who's going to check himself in the shower the next morning.Testicular Cancer Foundation · On 13 years of partnership with Otto Tunes
A decade of coverage
Cockappella has been covered every year by Syracuse student and local media. Below is a curated set.
SU a cappella group raises awareness for testicular cancer
The earliest piece of major local coverage of the Cockappella concert.
Otto Tunes Cockapella concert to benefit testicular cancer fund
Preview of the 2nd annual concert.
"Funds for Nuts" — 3rd annual Cockappella recap
By the third year, the headline writes itself.
6th annual fundraiser hosted by Otto Tunes
An institution by year six.
10 years of Cockappella
A milestone feature on a decade of the concert.
11th annual Cockappella concert
Year 11, still going strong.
Otto Tunes & GrooveStand at the ICCA
Otto Tunes' competitive year — Cockappella gets a callout in the feature.
Cockappella raises $20,000 for the Testicular Cancer Foundation
A record-breaking 13th annual show, with quotes from TCF's Connor O'Leary.
Hear the group for yourself
Years of footage from Cockappella concerts and other Otto Tunes performances.
Otto Tunes on YouTube
The full archive of Otto Tunes performances, including clips from past Cockappella concerts.
Visit channel → YouTube · Live clip4th Annual Performance
A standout moment from the 4th annual Cockappella, captured live.
Watch clip → Facebook · Full show5th Annual — Full Concert
The complete 5th annual Cockappella concert, recorded and shared by Otto Tunes.
Watch on Facebook →How to support Cockappella & Otto Tunes
Whether you're at Syracuse, an alum, a TC survivor, or just want to chip in — here's how.
Otto Tunes' fundraising page
The official Otto Tunes giving page on TCF — every dollar goes straight to the Foundation.
Get tickets to the next show
Cockappella runs every fall on Syracuse's campus. The next one is on the SU events calendar.
The story on TCF's blog
TCF's own write-up on the partnership, with notes from Connor O'Leary and the team.
Spread the word on campus
Share the SU Experience listing in your dorm chat, group thread, or org GroupMe.
Subscribe to Otto Tunes
Every view and subscriber helps the group reach a larger audience for the cause.
Start your own fundraiser
Inspired by Otto Tunes? TCF helps individuals, groups, and campuses run their own.
To the men of Otto Tunes — past, present, and future: thank you.
Thirteen years is a long time to keep showing up for a cause. The Testicular Cancer Foundation is grateful for every concert, every dollar, and every awkward conversation you've helped make a little easier.