Up 'Til Dawn is a fundraiser that Belmont University hosts every year to benefit the children and families that benefit from the services of St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. The hospital serves thousands of families every year with cancer treatments, facilities and research. Families never have to pay for treatments, allowing many children to receive treatment that would otherwise never be able to. While treatment is an immediate solution to childhood cancer, St. Jude's ultimate goal is to eliminate childhood cancer.
From January 27 to 28, over 300 students at Belmont stayed up to celebrate the amazing things that St. Jude has done. Teams of six were encouraged to dress as their favorite movie characters to celebrate the theme of the event, helping to create a fun and exciting vibe. From 12 a.m. to 6 a.m., activities were set up to keep the students going, including a silent disco, inflatable obstacle course, and mini golf.
The event capped a season of fundraising, during which students had to individually raise $100 in order to gain entrance to the event. With a group goal of $100,000, students set to work emailing, calling, and posting to social media in order to raise money for life-saving treatments and research.
At 6 a.m., final numbers were announced; with a total of over $110,000 raised, Belmont students exceeded their own expectations. Only in it's third year at Belmont, Up 'Til Dawn has proved a moving and inspirational source of community her at Belmont and beyond!
If you're interested, click here to donate to St. Jude. Keep in mind that any donation, no matter how small, is incredibly valuable in the eyes of children who receive their treatments at no cost!
