Approximately 100 students in the UTC Chapter of Up ’til Dawn, a collegiate fundraising program for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, recently wrote 4,200 letters to solicit donations. The money the students raise will be sent directly to St. Jude.
“St. Jude never turns anyone away regardless of the family’s ability to pay. It costs close to $1.5 million to run the hospital each day! So, we are working hard to invest in the lives of children from around the world,” said 2008-09 UTC Chapter Assistant Director Andrew Clark.
The 2008-09 Executive Director of Up ‘Til Dawn is Rebekah Wilson and Shasta Westmoreland serves as the group’s advisor. The Executive Board plans the events and gains sponsorships.
“Rebekah and I traveled to Memphis last summer to visit the hospital, meet the patients, and truly understand the reason we are fundraising with Up ’til Dawn,” said Clark. “Our theme this year is “Mission Possible: Saving the World, One Child at a Time.” I love it!”
The UTC Chapter is currently in its third year of fundraising. In its first year, it raised close to $36,000, an impressive amount for a first effort and for the size of the University. Last year, $48,000 was raised. This year, students want to raise $60,000.
“We want the children at St. Jude to go to college like we do. We want them to be able to live their lives,” Clark said.
Visit the UTC Chapter of Up ‘til Dawn online at http://www.utcuptildawn.com/.
