Students plan to stay Up 'til Dawn

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By Steffane Christian, November 7, 2008

“St. Jude isn’t a normal hospital,” the Up ‘til Dawn chair said said. “You walk in and you don’t even realize you’re in a hospital anymore."

The annual event begins at 8 p.m. in the Fitness Center lasts until 3 a.m. Saturday. The theme this year is “Carnival for a Cure.”
 

The event will be divided into hourly increments and will feature carnival-themed games and activities all night. Some events include individual games and team obstacle courses, as well as a clown fashion show. The team costs $5 per person to pay for the T-shirts and food that will be provided.
 

“It’s really structured and really fun,” Searcy said.
 

Former St. Jude patient Katelyn Atwell is scheduled to speak at the event along with her mother, Sharon.
 

Twenty-one teams of five or six students signed up for the event and will raise money by sending 50 pledge cards each to their family and friends. Searcy said the board decided to make their goal $20,000 – $7,000 more than last year – because of the event’s reputation on campus.
 

Up ‘til Dawn is a nationwide program run by students on campuses across the country. Since Delta Delta Delta and Up ‘til Dawn share the same philanthropy, the sorority usually has highest participation at the event, but does not work directly in the planning of activities.

The money for the event goes directly to the hospital to help with funding for research and assists with keeping the hospital running.
 

Up ‘til Dawn’s advocacy chair Candace Beatty, a senior, has also visited St. Jude.

“It’s not just a hospital, it’s like a home for the kids,” Beatty said.
 

Searcy said a total of 13 current Up ‘til Dawn board members have visited the hospital.

Board member Renee King, a junior, said she had high hopes for the event.