Millsaps students partied all night for a good cause as they took part in the College's first annual Up 'til Dawn fund-raising campaign, generating more than $25,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis.

Along with student fund-raisers from 90 other U.S. colleges, the Millsaps teams capped off their year-long effort with an all-night festival, the signature event of the campaign.

Up 'til Dawn is a student-led service project that brings together faculty, staff, students and local community members with the common goal of supporting St. Jude's patients and their families. Millsaps is the first and only Mississippi institution to participate in the program since its inception five years ago.
When Millsaps students and staff members first heard about the year-long campaign last March, they enthusiastically joined the fund-raising effort. In August, the Millsaps team visited St. Jude to learn more about the program. During the visit, students met with patients and their families and toured both the hospital and Target House, a housing facility for families of St. Jude patients.

Each Millsaps team of six students pledged to raise $800 for the campaign, and a celebration was held last month for the teams who met their goal. The event, which was also attended by patients of St. Jude and their families, included dancing, food, limbo contests, karaoke, wacky Olympics and card and video game tournaments, as well as educational videos about St. Jude, raffles and door prize giveaways. Despite achieving their fund-raising goals, students continued to raise money during the Feb. 21 finale, which started at 9 p.m. and lasted until 6 a.m.

"I am thrilled with the almost 250 participants we've had in Up 'til Dawn," said Amy Loy, a student organizer. "These teams have been willing to work to raise money, and they have surpassed my expectations by their commitment to the cause of St. Jude. This being the first year, it was a challenge to get Up 'til Dawn launched on campus, but I believe that now Millsaps students know what the program is and how it serves St. Jude. I hope this experience has taught students how easy it is to make a substantial difference in the lives of children."