The annual St. Jude Up ’til Dawn event will take place on Nov. 15th here on campus, but for the first time, the University will be hosting a Shave Down event to gain funds and support for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

St. Jude has made a considerable impact for children fighting cancer throughout the world. Since opening in Memphis, Tenn. in 1962, St. Jude has helped increase overall survival rates for childhood cancers from less than 20 percent to 80 percent today.

In 1962, the survival rate for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common form of childhood cancer, was 4 percent. Today, thanks to research and support from St. Jude, the survival rate is now 94 percent. ,

Right here in Hartford, students have helped make a significant impact each year by participating in the annual Up ’til Dawn event.

Executive Director of Up ’til Dawn Amanda Devane says in year’s past, the University has raised about $20,000 for the hospital. However, in year’s past, students have been asked to bring in anywhere from 25 to 50 addresses to send out letters to friends, family, and relatives to support the fundraising efforts.

“This year it’s all challenge-based, so once you raise the money, we’re going to be hosting challenges,” Devane says. “The coolest thing about the challenges is that all of them kind of have a mission moment that brings us back to St. Jude, the work theyre doing down there, the children, and why we’re actually raising the money.”

There will be an event to support the Up ’til Dawn cause, an event that has never taken place at the University of Hartford. On Oct. 17th, the first Shave Down event will could leave one participant without any hair.

“So basically what we’re doing is we’re asking people to volunteer to shave their heads,” Devane explains. “So what we have is three volunteers who are willing to shave their head, and we’re going to be fundraising in Gengras for them throughout the week.”

The participant who raises the most money will indeed have their head shaved, but it’s the meaning behind the event that drives home the mission of St. Jude.

Members from the executive board for Up ’til Dawn will be tabling in the Gengras Student Union on Tuesday, Oct. 15 and Wednesday, Oct. 16 between 12 and 2 p.m. You can also donate money up until 1 p.m. on the day of the Shave Down.

I will be taking place in the Shave Down event on Oct. 17th, so readers and viewers are encouraged to donate towards my name for the Shave Down cause.

Also, I will be participating in the Up ’til Dawn cause, and I encourage anyone who would be willing to donate to the St. Jude cause to donate to my personal page, at the following link: http://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR/UTD/UTD?px=2313795&pg=personal&fr_id=9153