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St. Olaf students raise record amount of money for St. Jude's kids

Amy Gage
April 20, 2003

Earlier this spring, students at St. Olaf College participated in an event on campus like no other. The philanthropic extravaganza, called Up 'Til Dawn, was the grand finale to a months-long fund-raising effort to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

The second-annual event, held March 14 on campus, featured a variety of team-based competitions and special guests. Each student raised $125 for the opportunity to participate. In total St. Olaf students raised more than $18,000 -- through student-sponsored cafeteria "fasts," bake sales, letter-writing campaigns and "date" auctions -- for the children who are hospitalized at St. Jude, an internationally recognized biomedical research center dedicated to finding cures for catastrophic childhood diseases.

Local St. Jude patient Zach Cochran and his mother, Beri, attended the event and shared their personal story about Zach's courageous fight with cancer. Zach also participated with the students in many of the competitions held throughout the night. All patients at St. Jude's, which was founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas, are treated regardless of their ability to pay. This year's fund-raising efforts topped the goal by $8,000.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.