Mississippi State University student organization Up ‘til Dawn will hold its second annual finale event today in Colvard Student Union from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Up ‘til Dawn is dedicated to raising awareness and funding for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, which provides free treatment for children with cancer.
Brittany Clark, director of Up ‘til Dawn, said the organization was founded by Lauren McKee and Vincent Stevens in the fall of 2009. Dan Mullen, Scott Stricklin and Bully will be attending the event.
Last year, the organization raised about $9,000, and 300 students participated.
“We would like to raise even more money for the hospital and continue to educate students on the purpose of Up ‘til Dawn,” Clark said.
Halston Hales, co-director of Up ‘til Dawn at MSU, said MSU is the first university in Mississippi to host a program like this for St. Jude.
“We’re excited to see the type of success we have already experienced, and we’re hoping that the reputation and understanding continue to improve,” he said.
Hales said the event gives every student an opportunity to contribute to this charitable hospital. The hospital is aiding children and infants everyday who are fighting health conditions.
Today, several creative and exciting activities are going to take place on campus, Hales said.
“We are really trying to offer the things we imagine the campus would like to see,” he said.
Students will get free pizza, drinks, desserts and pictures with Dan Mullen and Scott Stricklin. LabRats and the StayDry campaign will be joining the event and hosting activities as well.
 There will be an entertaining karaoke “forgot the lyrics” game in the Old Main Lounge, and the Residence Hall Association will host a game room that should be a huge hit, Hales said.
 Hales said the organization’s events allow every single student to come together and create an enormous impact, an impact the hospital recognizes and appreciates.
“The importance of the hospital is what inspires us to [do]the work we’re doing, and we couldn’t be more excited,” Hales said.
Students of MSU have positive opinions to share about the event and the hospital. John Robertson, freshman industrial engineering major, said he feels  St. Jude Children’s Hospital provides a much needed service to the people of the U.S.
“By not refusing a child based on any quality, even if the child’s care cannot be paid for, they allow for every child to have a chance to have a full and healthy life that otherwise would be unavailable,” he said.
Haley Henderson, sophomore kinesiology major, said she is proud to be able to say the number one children’s cancer hospital in the U.S. is in her hometown.
“St. Jude is a wonderful safe haven for families around the country who come here to Memphis to seek the best pediatric help they can get,” she said.
According to St. Jude’s national website, stjude.com, the mission of the hospital is to “advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.” Late entertainer Danny Thomas established the hospital in 1962 and since then the hospital has grown and changed lives of people all around the world.
The website explains that Up ‘til Dawn is a team in which students invite friends and family to join them while they participate in an all-night challenge for patients of St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
“Teams fundraise through various side events and then come together to celebrate their accomplishments at the Up ‘til Dawn celebration event,” the site said. Students also stay awake for an entire night to honor patients and their families that spend wakeful nights fighting deadly maladies.
The hospital not only treats children but also conducts research which helps explain biological mechanisms of diseases, improve diagnosis and enhance treatment, prevent disease and educate health care and scientific research professionals, according to the website.