» Media Center » News Releases » 2018 » November
Northwest students show off their freshly cut hair during Up 'til Dawn's Cut Loose event earlier this month. (Submitted photo)
Nov. 19, 2018
Colden Pond Plunge
3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25, at Colden Pond
Up ‘til Dawn’s annual Colden Pond Plunge encourages the Northwest community to donate money on behalf of volunteers who are willing to “take the plunge” and raise awareness for pediatric cancer.
The Big Event
Midnight to 6 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 10, at Bearcat Arena
The annual Up ‘til Dawn challenge is a tribute to the patients and families who undergo sleepless nights during treatment. Teams of six who raise at least $600 are invited to attend the all-night celebration of fundraising, which will include games, food and prizes. Teams can sign up online.
Seventy-four individuals lined up Nov. 9 in Bearcat Arena to cut their hair as the Up ‘til Dawn chapter at Northwest Missouri State University continued its 2018-19 fundraising campaign for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Up ‘til Dawn raised more than $400 through its “Cut Loose” event, and all of the funds went to St. Jude. Participants cut off at least 8 inches of their hair to donate to Children With Hair Loss.
The Northwest chapter has now raised more than $20,000, which exceeds the total it raised during last year’s campaign. While Up ‘til Dawn chapters are on college campuses throughout the nation, the Northwest chapter is organizing four events this academic year to work toward their goal of $40,000.
Up ‘til Dawn also hosted a Harvest Festival on Oct. 19 at the Dot Family Farm west of Maryville that generated $780 for St. Jude. The family-friendly festival included a barn dance, costume contest, pumpkin picking, hayrack rides, bonfire and a caramel apple bar.
Its remaining events are the annual Colden Pond Plunge on Jan. 25 and The Big Event on Feb. 10.
The Up ‘til Dawn Executive Board consists of 13 Northwest students dedicated to raising awareness and funding for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. St. Jude provides treatment for childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases at no cost.
St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. The hospital’s efforts have helped push overall survival rates from childhood cancers from less than 20 percent when the hospital opened in 1962 to 80 percent today. While its daily operating costs reach $1.7 million, an average of 7,800 active patients visit the hospital every year, most of whom are treated on an outpatient basis.
For more information about Northwest’s Up ‘til Dawn chapter and its fundraising events, contact Up ‘til Dawn Executive Director Carina Harding at S523470@nwmissouri.edu.
