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Up 'Til Dawn raised $81,600 with the help of students and community members during its 10th year anniversary celebration for cancer research at St. Jude's Children Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.
The event was sponsored by Kroger, Pepsi, Maples Wedding Cakes, Publix, MTSU Production Services, Papa Johns, Preferred Entertainment, Playtime Sports and Aramark.
"Last year we raised $72,000," said Jameel Braddock, a senior political science major and executive director for Up 'Til Dawn. "We plan to take in close to $80,000, [and] probably maybe even beat the goal because we have so many people coming in from the Murfreesboro community, which is a lot different from past years."
Up 'Til Dawn recognized Alpha Delta Pi as the top-raising team at the end of the night. In the banner competition, Gamma Beta Phi won first place, Students Dietetic Association took second and Alpha Chi Omega won third.
A former cancer patient of St. Jude's Children Research Hospital, Elizabeth Stewart, talked about her experiences with cancer and chemotherapy. Her mother, Lisa Moore, and her friends accompanied her on stage to encourage people to donate to St. Jude's Children Research Hospital.
Stewart talked about the newly built Kay Kafe, courtesy of Sterling Jeweler's, that donated $16 million for the cafeteria to be built. Moore said that things like the Kay Kafe help make staying at St. Jude's Children Research Hospital fun for children.
The 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. celebration was held in the Murphy Center to make room for inflatables, a mechanical bull, Dance Dance Revolution contests, food, character portraits, a wax hand sculpture center and a patient service section so people could make cards and decorations for St. Jude patients.
Felicia Brown, a junior liberal arts major and Sigma Alpha treasurer, took part in making decorations for patients and said that she also participated in last year's celebration with her sorority.
"It's our future, and we are lucky to be in college," Brown said. "Some of these kids don't even make it to elementary school."
Volunteer and sophomore business education major Travis Strattion said that he decided to volunteer because he likes working with children.
"If they [my family] were in the same predicament as these kids, then I would want someone to help them," Strattion said.
The Murphy Center court was used as a stage for Magician Dave Maze, the band Gino and special guest star Chris Young to perform.
Maze used pop musical scores and volunteers from the audience to help demonstrate tricks involving quarters, string and swallowing a blown- up balloon.
Later, rising country star Young took the stage. Braddock said that Young is an advocate for St. Jude's Children Research Hospital.
"He wanted to be involved," Braddock said. "He's a Murfreesboro native and heard about our event and we worked with Student Programming, and he's going to show up here for us."
Before the event, Public Relations person Sierra McMillan said that Up 'Til Dawn had raised $24,000 prior to the celebration.
"We wrote letters, so we will still be getting money until May," McMillan said. "It's a grassroots effort to get people to write letters to their families and communities."
Braddock said that more people should get involved with Up 'Til Dawn because it is making a difference in children's lives.
"You are definitely working to help cure cancer," Braddock said. "St. Jude's treats children from 70 countries."
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