MEGHAN GUATTERY
Staff Writer
According to a study the American Psychological Association conducted in 2010, consisting of 1,134 participants, 76 percent determined “money” to be a somewhat or very significant stressor in their life.In the same survey, an additional 47 percent of the participants listed “health problems affecting my family” as an additional stressor.
The link between these two major stress-causing factors: medical bills.
According to its website, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has, on average, more than 67,000 patient visits each year, all of which are funded through insurance companies or third-party payers.
“At the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, no family receives a bill,” said junior business management major and Fredonia for St. Jude President Brittany Hull. “The daily operating cost is $2,000,000.”
Since these families are not required to pay for their children’s treatment, this not-for-profit relies heavily on fundraisers and donations to continue to operate efficiently and effectively.
“We host a variety of events on campus to raise money for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and to make it a little easier on the families,” said Hull.
In Steele Hall from 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 22, until 6 a.m. on Nov. 23, Fredonia for St. Jude hosted its annual fundraising event, Up ‘til Dawn. Seven teams and just over 30 participants spent their Saturday night in the gymnasium, raising awareness and money for the children’s hospital.
Face painting, archery and cotton candy were just a few of the things keeping the participants awake throughout the night.
“This event is important because it raises awareness and money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and it celebrates the people who did raise money,” said Alison Malcolm, a sophomore speech pathology major and Fredonia for St. Jude Teams executive board member.
However, Up ‘til Dawn wasn’t always about staying awake into the wee hours of the morning.
“It used to be a letter-writing event, where the students would come, sign a few letters and then they could leave,” said Hull. “We would send the letters to the people they addressed them to, asking for donations.”
Last year, St. Jude changed the concept behind Up ‘til Dawn. It became an overnight activity event.
“We tried our best to figure out how this would work and if it would work well with our campus,” said Hull.
For being no more than a trial run of the new event, it was a success, raising over $10,000.
After the transition from an event that simply required stationery, to a night requiring endless amounts of coffee, Fredonia for St. Jude worked out the kinks and was prepared to put on a successful event.
“This year, we were a lot more organized,” said junior psychology and sociology major Sydnee Worth, treasurer of Fredonia for St. Jude. “We had a lot more time and we knew what we were doing, so we could plan the events better.”
The group’s executive board decided to use Hunger Games, in honor of the premier of “Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1” on Nov. 21, as the theme for this year’s event.
“Through a text messaging system, we gave out clues [to all participants] about their next activity,” said Hull. “It was supposed to be a secret, so they didn’t exactly know what they’re getting into when they signed up. They received a text message saying where the location of their next activity was and a brief hint about what they would be doing.”
The night also included performances by all-male a capella group Much More Chill and hip-hop dance team Envied Xpression.
At 6 a.m., the Fredonia for St. Jude executive board announced that the event had raised over $6,000. Catherine Edwards was the leading fund-raiser with an individual total of $502.
“If we didn’t have these clubs to raise the money, I really don’t think it would get done,” said junior music business major Kyle Vertin. “It promotes other students to raise money and become aware and involved.”