Up 'til Dawn

Up 'til Dawn is a nationwide student-led, student-run program in which college students raise funds for and awareness of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Though called Up ’til Dawn, the program itself usually takes place throughout the academic year and provides opportunities in leadership for students, allowing them to gain valuable work experience by organizing and participating in fund-raising activities. The program strengthens the campus community by encouraging faculty, staff and surrounding community residents to participate in the arranged fund-raising campaigns and awareness days.

Up 'til Dawn's finale event attempts to unite the entire campus and surrounding community to acknowledge their achievements and honor patients at St. Jude, an event at which students stay “Up ‘til Dawn,” using the motto “Fight the yawn-stay awake to cure childhood cancer.” . The students’ motto is “cancer doesn’t sleep, so neither should we.” The program is called “Up ‘til Dawn” to symbolize the countless nights that parents stay up with their sick children. The Up ‘til Dawn organization is hosted by more than 180 colleges nationwide.

Students who lead Up ‘til Dawn on their campuses educate the community about St. Jude while raising money thorough a variety of activities including letter-writing campaigns to solicit donations, canning events, Rock for the Cure, and fundraising dinners. All money raised, without exception, goes to the research hospital in Memphis, TN.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is a world leader in the research of catastrophic childhood diseases and freely shares all of their research with hospitals around the world so that children can receive the same treatment near their home as they would receive in Memphis.

With the recent increase in service learning initiatives on campuses nationwide, future employers are looking for students who give back to their communities. Up ‘til Dawn provides students that chance by providing an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of children world-wide while actively participating in a campus sponsored promotion.