Students passing through the War Memorial Student Union this week will find themselves popping balloons, winning prizes and finding something to munch on, all while helping find a cure for cancer.
This week, Up Til Dawn will be hosting St. Jude Week in the student union.  St. Jude Week is a bi-annual event that normally takes place in the beginning of the fall and spring semester, according to organization president Katie Bailey.  It is used to raise awareness for childhood cancer and research.
“Not one family ever pays at St. Jude because of wonderful people who donate towards this great cause. To make a bigger statement, it costs $2 million dollars a day to run St. Jude and not a single child gets turned away,” said Bailey.
St. Jude has a unique mission: to find cures for children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases through research and treatment. No children are ever turned away according to Bailey.
Up Til Dawn sponsors St. Jude week every semester in order to raise cancer awareness as well as raise money to help fund the institution. They are expecting to raise at least $1,000 to donate to the charity this semester.
Every day this week, Up Til Dawn members will be set up in the student union.
“Students can help by donating $1, buy a baked good, buy some pastalaya or take a chance at the balloon pop to win a free T-shirt or gift card” said Bailey
There will also be a 50/50 raffle where one lucky person will win half of the total amount collected for the drawing. Pastalaya plates will only be sold on Wednesday for $5.
There will also be a sign up list available for Up Til Dawn T-shirts for anyone who may be interested in participating.
Recently, an all-night letter writing campaign, hosted by Up Til Dawn, collected over 8,000 letters asking for donations.
St. Jude is a cancer research and treatment center that functions solely on donations. Danny Thomas founded the center in 1962 and, at that time, did not know he would be affecting the lives of children across the world. St. Jude is ranked as one of the best pediatric cancer hospitals in the country and is the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children.
Any students wishing to make a donation are asked to stop by the Up Til Dawn table in the Union this week. For more information, students can contact Katie Bailey at [email protected].