Last Tuesday and Wednesday 9September 27 and 28), St. Jude Up ‘til Dawn (UTD) held their recruitment week in coordination with National Recruitment Week. Each day took place at the Bartels Patio from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and featured a dunk tank, a cotton candy machine, popcorn, students who were excited about making a difference in the lives of many children and their families.
St. Jude is an organization dedicated to treating and researching childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases, while charging absolutely nothing to the multitude of families who rely on these services. They give every college that takes part in Up ‘til Dawn two days to recruit people for their event.
Olivia Wong, UTD President of Fundraising at Univeristy New Haven, said, “Our goal is to register 200 people. We have $6,653 so far and our goal this year is $150,000. Last year we raised $115,000, making us third in the country. We beat big schools such as LSU and Texas Tech.”
Wong and another e-board member had the opportunity to go down to St. Jude in the summer where they found out that U.N.H. is the “signature school” of Up ‘til Dawn and that they are very popular. This clearly shows how big of an impact that U.N.H. has on not only the students and alumni but the people in many other communities, close and far away.
Up ‘til Dawn takes place on February 25, 2017 from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. During this event, students will sacrifice their sleep for the children who are undergoing treatment and fighting cancer along with their families who have stuck by their sides. The night will be filled with games and challenges geared towards keeping the students awake and entertained. The money raised will be used to pay for the treatment, travel, housing and food for the families who will never receive a bill from St. Jude.
St. Jude allows these families to solely focus on their sick child so they can help their child live. Their goal is to remove all other worry and fear from the families effected by childhood cancer with the primary mission that “no child should die in the light of life.”
When asked about her favorite part of participating in Up ‘til Dawn, Julianne Toce, UTD President of Recruitment, said, “Seeing everyone come out with their support and having a good time and breaking records.”
St. Jude and the U.N.H. community encourage all students to participate in Up Til’ Dawn. You still have time to register a team and it is a great night of laughs and fun for an even greater cause.