250 MTSU STUDENTS WILL BE WAITING UP ’TIL DAWN FEB. 1-2

mtsunews.com


Release date: Jan. 30, 2008


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919


MTSU STUDENTS WILL BE WAITING UP ’TIL DAWN FEB. 1-2


(MURFREESBORO) — From her role now as a graduate assistant and three previous years’ experience on the Up ’til Dawn committee, Megan Flippin has a veteran’s perspective for the 2008 event.
Flippin can offer lots of advice to this year’s committee hierarchy—Executive Director Crystal Griffey and Associate Directors Josh McKenzie and Jameel Braddock.
“They’ve been working really, really hard,” Flippin said of the committee, which has spent countless hours preparing for the event that will be held from 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1, to 7 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, in the Campus Recreation Center.
This year marks a milestone in MTSU’s participation.
“The most special thing about this year’s event is that it marks 10 years that MTSU has been raising funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” Griffey said. “Students came to our Great Lick-a-Thon back in November and helped send out thousands of letters that helped spread awareness and raise funds for the hospital.
“Students do all types of fundraisers to help raise money for the hospital. Although they were not able to participate this year, a group of students called the Pink Raider Knitting Brigade have raised at least $8,000 over the past two to three years. They would hand-make jewelry, candy, and knit scarves and hats to sell them on campus and in the community, with all proceeds going to St. Jude.
“One team hosted a baseball tournament last spring to jump-start their fundraising for this year. The committee hosted a chili luncheon for faculty and staff. So we have definitely been working hard all year.”
Griffey and her committee mates have set a lofty goal, and she expects their hours of volunteering to pay off.
“We have set our standards high by setting a $105,000 goal for the 2007-08 year,” she said. “The committee has spent countless hours organizing fundraising events and preparing for the finale. “Many of the committee members have been talking with businesses about sponsorship, making donations and providing door prizes for the finale event. We also meet at least once a week to help keep the momentum going all year long. It entails a lot of long hours and dedication from our committee members and student fundraisers to reach our goal but the experience working with ALSAC/St. Jude staff and raising funds for the hospital outweighs the toll of the long hours. I personally have gone from being a team captain to committee chair and am now executive director. So I am dedicated to all that St. Jude does and hope to work with or for the in the future.”
Up ’til Dawn will be open to the public from 7 p.m. to midnight Feb. 1. A $5 donation is requested. Attendees will be entertained by sporting events, live entertainment and free food. A hypnotist is expected to be part of the late-night activities. Among those attending will be a guest patient speaker from St. Jude. The patient will attend with his family.
The committee works under the guidance of Jackie Victory, director, leadership and service.
For more information, call 615-904-8270 or visit mtsu.edu/~uptldawn.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

MTSU Up ’til Dawn contributions through the years

Year Teams Amount raised
2008 80* $105,000*
2007 72 $96,000+
2006 48 $80,000+
2005 56 $82,000+
2004 45 $62,000+
2003 48 $55,000+
2002 30 $40,000+
2001 40 $29,000+
2000 20 $25,000+
1999 20 $19,000+
* — Goals for 2008

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