FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 28, 2008
Contact: Dave Wellman, Director of Communications (304) 696-7153
 

‘Up ’til Dawn’ fund-raiser at Marshall to raise money
for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall University students will be participating in a fund-raiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital called “Up ’til Dawn” on Tuesday, April 8.

The fund-raiser will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Memorial Student Center’s Don Morris Room and is expected to last about 3 ½ hours or until about 11 p.m. The “Up ’til Dawn” program is dedicated to the life-saving work of St. Jude.

To participate in the event, students are invited to send 10 letters to their friends and families asking for donations on behalf of St. Jude.  Students may pick up letters prior to the event in the Greek Affairs Office, located in Room 2W29 of the Memorial Student Center, or they can complete the letters at the event.  Students who participated in the “Write for Life” event in the fall are not required to write additional letters.

The event is designed as a celebration to thank students for their hard work and fund-raising efforts.  Some of the features and activities planned during “Up ’til Dawn” include a band, contests/games, karaoke, casino games, video games, awards and speeches for patients.

Last fall, more than 120 students participated in the “Write for Life” fund-raising event, and more than 2,000 letters were sent to students’ friends and families requesting donations. The previous year, approximately 80 Marshall students raised more than $10,000 for the hospital which helped offset the $1.2 million a day cost of operating St. Jude. This money was raised through activities on campus, student efforts and sponsors.

This year’s proud sponsors are A to Z Rental and Sales; Best Buy; Buddy’s All American Bar-B-Que; Buffalo Wild Wings; Chili Wili’s; City Heat; Cold Stone Creamery; Fazoli’s; Funny Bone Comedy Club; Glenn’s Sporting Goods Inc.; Hometown Sportswear Inc.; Jim’s Steak & Spaghetti House; Jimmy John’s; M&M Inflatables; Moe’s; Panera Bread; Papa John’s Pizza; Pepsi Cola Company; Red Bull Energy Drink; Rio Grande; Sonic Drive In; Stadium Bookstore; Stewarts Original Hot Dogs, and MU SAPB.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world.

No family ever pays for treatment not covered by insurance and families without insurance are never asked to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization. For more information, call (800) 822-644 or visit www.stjude.org.

For more information on “Up ’til Dawn,” call Emily Schoen at (304) 590-0461 or e-mail her at Schoen2@marshall.edu.

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