To help the children of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, more than 200 Ball State University students will write letters to family members and friends tonight asking them to donate money.
The Ball State's Up 'til Dawn organization is having the letter-writing event from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. in L.A. Pittenger Student Center Cardinal Hall.
Up 'til Dawn is a national collegiate organization that has more than 150 schools participate in student-led fundraisers to help St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Taryn Harmon, a senior assistant director of Up 'til Dawn, said. The letter-writing event is one of two activities the organization does, she said. On Feb. 9, Up 'til Dawn will stay up until dawn to celebrate the amount of money raised and there will be food, music, games and patient speakers.
"We have other events that help awareness about the organization and St. Jude, but the letter-writing event is our biggest event," she said. "October is the Up 'til Dawn month, but we wanted to have our event this week because it's the week with the least going on among other [Ball State] organizations and campus events."
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital provides free medical care to children who have cancer, sickle-cell anemia and other childhood diseases. All funds used to operate St. Jude's comes from donations, Annette Fiorini, a senior executive board member of Up 'til Dawn, said.
Students who participate tonight will learn about Up 'til Dawn and do a survey where the participants choose what events should be done in February, Harmon said. Those who participate in the letter-writing event do not have to come to February's event, but they have to participate in the letter-writing to come in February.
About 240 participants have already signed up, Fiorini said. In the past there has not been as much publicity for the event so it is nice to see this many people sign up, she said.
"Students who come should bring a list of 50 family members and friends who they wish to write their letters to," Fiorini said. "We have a format for the letters, but students can personalize them and decorate the envelopes if they wish."
Students who participate must pay a $5 entry fee but will have an opportunity to win a video iPod. Free T-shirts, music from PBJ Entertainment, a company that coordinates event music planning, and Dominos pizza will also be available.
Katelyn Atwell, a patient at St. Jude's, and her mother, Sharon, will be at the event to speak about Katelyn's diagnosis and how the hospital has affected her life, Fiorini said.
"Five dollars isn't a lot for all the good you'll be doing," she said. "I hope this event will spread awareness about the hospital and students who volunteer will see how easy it is to make a difference and save a life."
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