Have you ever heard of Up ‘Til Dawn? Have you ever heard of St. Jude Children’s research hospital?

If you haven’t heard of St. Jude, it is a research hospital that is run COMPLETELY off of generous donations from people all around the world, just like you. No family that has a child treated at St. Jude EVER receives a bill. Medications, lab tests, housing, transportation, food, etc. You name it, St. Jude covers it. "Because all a family should have to worry about is their loved one healing." How amazing is that?

Up ‘Til Dawn is a student-led philanthropic event. Here at Illinois State University, it is the number two fundraising event on campus. Don’t go to Illinois State? This still applies to you because of Universities all around the country host this event. 11:30pm-6:00 a.m. is the time you can expect to be participating in this whole night of fun, raising awareness, saving lives, and getting involved with your University.

The ultimate reason Up ‘Til Dawn takes place all night is to signify what a family experiences when they have a child diagnosed with a catastrophic disease, countless sleepless night. The essence of this amazing event is for friends, strangers, fellow survivors, and students to come together to show their support, raise money, and awareness for families and patients at St. Jude Research Hospital.

Throughout the night, there are all sorts of food, activities, games, patient/family speakers, raffles, and so much more. Oh did I forget to mention last year at Illinois State Universities Up ‘Til Dawn we got to see Hunter Hayes? Yes, Hunter freaking Hayes.

If you’re jumping out of your seat like I was when I first discovered Up ‘Til Dawn, you are probably wondering where to sign up.

Here it is broken down:

Step 1: Go to...

https://www.stjude.org/get-involved/at-school/college-fundraisers/up-til-dawn.html

Step 2: Find your school and register

Step 3: Type in your school, and double click

Step 4: Fill out all your information

Step 5: Register as a team or individual (you can do either, but finding 5 friends to do it with makes the night even more memorable)

Step 6: Set up your fundraising goal, edit your personal page, and make your own URL

Step 7: Fundraise, fundraise, and fundraise!!

To get into the actual event, you must raise $100.00, which may seem much more feasible if you think of it as 20 donations of just $5.00!

Don’t worry: if someone from your team signs up too late and wasn’t able to raise $100 another team member can pick up the slack if they raised $140, it will even out if they have only raised $60.00. The team as a whole just has to raise $600. Which, might I add, goes straight to “finding cures and saving lives”. How awesome!

St. Jude Research hospital is an amazing hospital. Unlike any other. One child saved here, is thousands saved all around the world because of the extensive research they find each and every day. St. Jude has a goal to bring the survival rate for childhood cancer to 90% and they will NOT stop until no child dies from this terrible disease. It costs 2.2 MILLION dollars each day for them to simply open their doors. Up ‘Til Dawn, is one of their big events that helps bring in only a fraction of what it costs to open their doors for a SINGLE day.

Become a part of something bigger than you and I. Not only is Up ‘Til Dawn for an amazing cause, but it is also a great event, resume booster, and so much fun. Get involved! You won’t regret it.