"Up 'til Dawn," a fundraising program was coordinated by twelve William Paterson students who formed the executive board. At the event were (from left) Chelsea Fretterd, Britney Davis, Diane Asmar, Paola Valencia, Sara Wennburg, Jackie Garcia, Ashley Chiesa, Jennifer Bauer, Travis Robinson, Cheryl Bylinski, Chris Weiss, Alexis Malafatapoulos, and visitor Dan Clifford

Most times when college students pull an all-nighter they are cramming for exams, but more than 100 William Paterson students participated in a special event called Up ‘til Dawn which raised more than $25,200 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The event on March 28 was the culmination of a yearlong fundraising program which included a letter-writing campaign. Students, faculty, and staff sent out more than 6,000 letters to family and friends asking them to donate to St. Jude. Numerous other events were held on campus to raise funds. More than 400 students participated during the 2008-2009 academic year.

Funds were donated in the memory of Megan Buske, a former William Paterson student who died in a car accident in August 2008. She was also a cancer survivor.

”Students sprang into action and formed a solid team of volunteers who not only took on the campaign, but also formed a club on campus to have the work be long-lasting,” says Francisco Diaz, assistant vice president for campus life. “I am so proud of the work by the students, advisors, and the many outstanding volunteers who made this project a success. I hope they know how much their efforts meant to campus life, to Megan’s family, and to the St. Jude campaign.”