New organization strives to raise money for children

Up ‘Til Dawn, is one of UNCG’s newest student organizations that formed just this semester.  It is a prominent organization hosted by colleges and universities nationwide.  Student-led and student-run, it raises money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital annually.  For this school year, Up Til Dawn’s goal for the UNCG campus is to raise $15,000 for the hospital and they are encouraging all students to get involved.  St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized as one of the world’s premier centers for research and treatment of childhood catastrophic diseases.  It ranked as the number one pediatric cancer hospital by Parents magazine and the number one children’s cancer hospital by U.S. News & World Report. Also, it is the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children.  Since its founding in 1962, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has treated more than 19,000 children from all over the world.  Donations to the hospital are a big contributor to their success in treating children.

During this school year, Up ‘Til Dawn will raise money “through our main event, [which is] a letter writing campaign.  It is free.  All you have to do is sign up at www.myuptildawn.org,” explains executive director for UNCG’s Up ‘Til Dawn, Erin Newman. Newman continues to explain, “You can make a team of 5-10 people or you can participate as an individual.  Once you are signed up, all students have to do is bring anywhere from twenty to fifty addresses of friends and family to write on envelopes that are provided. It’s that easy and it gives back to a great cause.” 

The letters are then sent off to the family and friends, and then they can send in a donation that goes straight to the hospital in Memphis, TN.  The letter writing event will be on October 20th from 12 to 6 p.m. in the EUC Maple room. It will be on a drop-by basis so students can come to help anytime that best fits their schedule.

After the letter writing, on February 25, Up ‘Til Dawn will have a finale event in the Cone Ball room in the EUC.  Specific times will be announced at a later date.  This event will celebrate how much money UNCG raised for St. Jude.  There will be prizes, free food, and team competitions.

Up ‘Til Dawn gets its name from the fact that students sacrifice a night of sleep at events in honor of the patients and their families that have many sleepless nights at the hospital.  “We want the UNCG campus to come together for a great cause, something that is bigger than our campus.  We don’t have anything like this on campus and we want to start something that moves everybody,” said Newman.

There are currently 10 teams signed up and more continue to sign up every day.  It will take one hundred teams to meet the goal to raise $15,000.

Students are welcome to join the organization’s executive board.   Meetings are held on Fridays at 3pm.  To find out more information, students may email Erin Newman at [email protected] sign up a team, students can email Ashlee O’Connell at [email protected].