ESSICA VAUGHN
Staff Writer
An anonymous donation of $20,000 was given during Pepperdine’s Up Till Dawn philanthropy event in the fall semester, sources say. The philanthropy raised more than $35,000.
Up Till Dawn is the annual philanthropic event that all the sororities and fraternities participate in. The money raised goes to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital headquarters in Memphis, Tenn.
“This year, through our letters and donations, we raised over $35,000, thanks in part to one very generous donor who gave an anonymous $20,000 check,” said Wooten. “We do not know who the person or group was, but we are grateful and I think it should offer a sense of peace knowing that such people still exist in the world.”
“St. Jude’s is the leading children’s hospital and research center in the nation,” said junior Susan Wooten, member of Alpha Phi who participated in this year’s event.
According to Wooten, participants sit in the Cafe and write letters to family and friends asking for donations and pledges to contribute to St. Jude’s. Up Till Dawn is an activity open to the whole Pepperdine community.
Although all the sororities and fraternities participate in Up Till Dawn, the group largely responsible for its creation is the Panhellenic Council, a group of representatives from each of the sororities on campus. Their job is to raise money for the various activities that the sororities participate in, including Up Till Dawn and the Panhellenic Fund.
“The Panhellenic Fund is spent mostly on girl’s recruitment and on philanthropy events,” said junior Mary Cahalan, member of Peppedine’s Tri Delta sorority.
According to Cahalan, all the sororities pay dues to the fund and the money saved is used to help pay for the costs of rush and philanthropic events such as Up Till Dawn.
01-26-2006