Up 'til Dawn 2009

On a Monday night in the beginning of November, 2,500 Chico State students gathered in Acker gym on campus to participate in Up ‘til Dawn. The letter-writing campaign fundraiser for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital has become one of the signature events at Chico State and an event that "encompasses everything that we're about," said program advisor Larry Bassow. "It's really a part of the Chico Experience now."
 
The program began here during the 2001-2002 school year and in the seven years since has continued to grow, reaching a record 2,500 student participants and over 53,500 letters written at this year's event. Last year $204,000 was raised, bringing Chico State closer to the million dollar mark that they hope to reach after this year's event. "We should know this month if we reached the mark, we were $91,000 away before the event," said Bassow.
 
For most students, Up ‘til Dawn is a fun night to eat pizza, write letters, and feel like they're doing their part. And while some are drawn to the event because of the potential prizes, like free tuition, a new laptop, or a trip to LA, most are "proud to go help out and feel like they're doing some real good," said Bassow.