The University of Memphis’ Up ‘til Dawn organization hosted a campus-wide “No More Cancer Rally” in the University Center River Room Tuesday night to fundraise for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Students were encouraged to bring their own laptops to the event in order to compete in games both individually and in teams and earn points by fundraising across various mediums. Participants vied for apparel and other bonus merchandise ahead of the Up 'til Dawn Feb. 28 deadline for the fundraising campaign’s upcoming, all-night, celebratory finale.
Junior accounting major Jason Bray currently serves as assistant director of Up 'til Dawn and served the last two years in the organization as a “morale captain,” the title for students serving the organization in various capacities. According to Bray, the rally brings people together while looking ahead to the end of the campaign in February.
“The goal is to complete as many challenges as you can to get in the raffle we do in the end,” Bray said.
According to junior physics major Margo Huber, the executive director of this year’s St. Jude Up ‘til Dawn, the UofM chapter has consistently been one of the nation’s top fundraisers.
“The UofM chapter pioneered Up 'til Dawn," Huber said. "We’re not the largest (fundraising) chapter currently, but we’re still the best."
Huber said the Memphis chapter has currently raised nearly $90,000 of their stated goal of $225,000, in comparison to last year when Up 'til Dawn raised about $156,000. In the 18 years since its inception, Up 'til Dawn Memphis has alone raised nearly $1.5 million for St. Jude, but the national organization touts a gross figure of over $20 million, with current annual figures around $5 million.
Tuesday’s event hosted patients from St. Jude, as well as representatives from the research hospital and its extensive fundraising wing, the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities. The “No More Cancer” theme was inspired by a unique tradition at St. Jude known as the “No More Chemo Party,” a celebration by doctors, nurses and staff whenever a patient’s treatment concludes successfully.
“They all sing the child a special song with the ending line, ‘pack up your bags, get out the door, you don’t get chemo anymore,'” Huber said.
Huber said the event, which also included non-fundraising related activities, was about making the most of the chance to “share in the love for St. Jude and their mission. Up 'til Dawn states on its website the internationally visible motto of St. Jude: “Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food.”
Huber encourages those interested in supporting St. Jude to participate in team Memphis at “fundraising.stjude.org/Memphis” and follow “utdmemphis” on Instagram (and they will follow back) prior to the end of the year, up all-night, celebratory finale deadline, Feb. 28.
