Up ’til Dawn, a new Greek-led student organization, is calling on NSU students to write letters to help raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Alicia Anania, junior marine biology and sociology major and fundraising chair of NSU’s Up ’til Dawn chapter, said people who register with the organization will contact 50 people and ask them to donate to the hospital. On Jan. 19, the organization will hold a letter-writing campaign, where those who signed up will sign the letters. On March 19, the organization will have a celebration announcing who raised the most money.
Anania said the hospital runs off donations and treats children for free. She also said that it costs $1.5 billion each day to run the hospital.
Damion Campbell, executive director of Up ’til Dawn and senior accounting and management major, said the letter-writing campaign is traditionally held all night, which is where the name Up ’til Dawn came from. However, the NSU letter-writing campaign will not be held all night.
Kevin Saberre, Jr., graduate assistant in the Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement and advisor for Up ‘til Dawn, said Up ’til Dawn is a year-long philanthropic event. Saberre said he thought the Greeks on campus would benefit from doing a unified philanthropic initiative and presented this idea to the Office of Greek Life. He then presented it to the Greeks and asked them to give ideas for different initiatives.
“A couple of students brought up the idea of Up ‘til Dawn, and I had done Up ’til Dawn as an undergraduate student,” Saberre said. “I knew it was very beneficial and a great way to unite for a great cause in regards to childhood illnesses. When we asked the Greeks if this was what they wanted, they were ecstatic to take it on.”
Campbell said Up ’til Dawn is significant because it raises aware-ness about the hospital.
“It helps us to unite to help fight against cancer for children who are less fortunate and to get them cured, help their families out financially and be their mental and moral support,” Campbell said.
Angelo Capobianco, freshman biology major and the organization’s advocacy chair, said Up ’til Dawn consists of three teams corresponding to the three teams of Greek organizations formed during Greek Week. He said teams get points for people who register with their team.
Anania said the point of having Greeks run it is to get outside organizations to get involved with the Greeks.
“We don’t want just the Greeks to do it. We want to unite all the different clubs and organizations on this campus into one specific community service project,” Anania said.
Saberre said he would love to see Up ’til Dawn become an annual initiative for Greek organizations and bring multiple organizations together.
“It’s a great way for student leaders to come together,” Saberre said. “It really shows how doing a little work can go a long way. It’s the little things that count, and that’s what it means to people.”
