Cancer. We've all been affected in some way, directly or indirectly, by this disease. Regardless of the prior health or life-stage of a cancer patient, it's never easy to watch someone you love suffer. However, there's something especially jarring about watching a child battle this life-threatening disease.

When St. Jude Children's Research Hospital opened in 1962, the childhood cancer survival rate was 20 percent. Fast forward to the present, and the overall childhood cancer survival rate has risen to more than 80 percent. That's an impressive jump, but it's not enough until 100 percent survival is reached.

When St. Jude's founder, Danny Thomas, began his journey to create a pediatric cancer treatment facility, he had one goal -- "no child should die in the dawn of life." That was Thomas' goal in 1962, and that continues to be the goal of every person involved with the life-saving work at St. Jude.

Because treatment, housing, and food are provided to patients and their families free of charge (No one ever receives a bill from St. Jude.), the hospital relies on donors for approximately 75 percent of its operating costs. These costs amount to around $2 million per day.

As a college student, making regular donations to a cause is often unrealistic. Getting involved may also seem difficult unless you go to school near the the philanthropy that inspires you.

St. Jude recognized this problem, and it also realized the impact that a demographic like college students could have on furthering its cause of finding cures and saving children. The answer? St. Jude Up 'Til Dawn.

Up 'Til Dawn (UTD) is the collegiate-level fundraising organization for the children's hospital. Universities across the United States have chapters that fundraise for the kids.

The organization is made up an executive board that recruits new members throughout the academic year. Each new member gets five friends to join their six-person team, and that team fundraises and participates in side-events leading up to the organization's main event -- an all-night celebration where participants "stay up 'til dawn" to celebrate their hard work and to raise awareness for the sleepless nights that patients and families undergo during treatment.

NC State will celebrate it's fourth UTD event this Friday - Saturday, March 23 and 24 in Witherspoon Student Center from 11 p.m. - 6 a.m. There will be food, prizes, and games like laser tag played on Miller Field at midnight. There's still time to register and join us at the event! Entry is $100/person or $600/team (Think 10 $10 donations, and the goal becomes easily achievable.)

As college students, we may not have large bank accounts, but we do have huge networks to tap into, and you would be surprised how quickly $5 here and $10 there adds up to make a huge difference for St. Jude families. A $35 donation feeds an entire family for a day.

It's not difficult to make a difference. It's not difficult to be a positive force. St. Jude UTD empowers students to do both. To get started, check to see if your school has a UTD organization on campus.