“Fight the yawnâ€Â and stay awake to help cure childhood cancer is the motto ascribed to by “Up ‘til Dawn.â€Â The student-run program designed to raise awareness for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“It is a philanthropic event benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,â€Â said Alex Andreotti, executive director for the event.

To participate, students can assemble a team of six people and fill out a registration form.

During the event tonight, which will be held at the Satellite Student Union from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., students will write and send letters to family and friends asking for donations to the hospital.

Those who write the letters “make this world a better place,â€Â said Josh Carruso, entertainment chairman.

“Up ‘til Dawn,â€Â was organized with assistance from Associated Students Inc. (ASI). The event will feature entertainment, food, speeches from cancer patients and survivors, raffles and contests.

“If each person writes letters to 50 people, a great amount of money can easily be raised for the hospital,â€Â said Kylie Stone, recruitment chairperson and executive board member.

In the Spring, the “finale eventâ€Â will be held and students will literally stay up ‘til dawn. Students give up a night of sleep to honor the children fighting for their lives at St. Jude hospital. Fresno State has its own motto for the event.

“We, as college students, sacrifice one night of sleep for the patients who have many sleepless nights,â€Â Andreotti said.

The survival rate for the most common form of childhood cancer, lymphoblastic leukemia, has steadily risen since 1962 from 4 percent to 94 percent.

The “Up ‘til Dawnâ€Â event began in 1998 and continues to help children and families with the aid of more than 250 colleges and universities around the world. The program has raised more than $16 million for St. Jude.

For Fresno State, this is the third time being involved with the event.

“Monetary donations are amazing as they help fund research, new drugs, supplies for the patients and much more,â€Â Andreotti said. “This pushes St. Jude’s one step closer to finding a cure.â€Â

People can also support St. Jude̢۪s by volunteering at the hospital or a local children̢۪s hospital, and keeping the kids of St. Jude̢۪s in their prayers.

Besides helping the children, a few of the board members have personal reasons to why they help out with this event.

Almost three years ago, Andreotti and Stone lost a friend who fought leukemia for 17 months. After their friend passed away, it inspired them both to fight to cure childhood cancer and show how important the cause is.

“We understand fully the experience of losing someone close,â€Â Andreotti said.

Andreotti also got the opportunity to travel with St. Jude hospital for a leadership seminar in Tennessee where she learned how to plan and organize “Up ‘til Dawn.â€Â She also went on a tour of the facilities and saw first hand what the hospital does for patients.

“It was one of the most memorable and emotional experiences,â€Â Andreotti said.

So far, they have about 100 people signed up for tonight̢۪s event. They will let people register teams up until the night of the event. They are also accepting students who are not a part of a team, but wish to come and write letters.

The finale event will be held in the Spring and all participants who wrote letters are invited back for a celebration of how much money was raised through letters, side events and donations. There will again be raffles, food, games and activities.

“Something will be going on every half hour to make sure everyone stays awake,’’ Andreotti said.

About a half-hour before the finale ends, the total amount of money raised throughout the year will be announced.