Participants of Up ’til Dawn will celebrate their final event from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday in the New Orleans Room of Stevenson Hall.

Up ’til Dawn is a celebration of the $12,000 in donations collected for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Only those who raised money were allowed to attend.

About 65 to 70 student participants raised money by writing letters to relatives and friends asking for donations. This year’s participants have been raising money since September 2004, said Jahmela McGhee, co-director of Up ’til Dawn.

The finale will feature karaoke, raffles, food and crafts. Some activities include making cards for hospital patients and decorating covers for patients’ IV bags, McGhee said.

Patients from the hospital also will make an appearance at the finale to speak to participants.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital treats children with life-threatening diseases and helps absorb the medical expenses. Because St. Jude turns no one away and takes care of additional costs such as travel for patients’ family members, the hospital is extremely expensive to run, McGhee said. Therefore, St. Jude is largely funded through donations and fundraisers such as Up ’til Dawn.

Sophomore meterology major Amanda Kromphardt got involved in Up ’til Dawn because a personal friend of her family received treatment from the hospital.

She said people should go to the finale to learn more about what the hospital does.

“Not everyone knows all the stories about the hospital and what the money goes for,” Kromphardt said. “It might open people up to volunteering for it next year.”

For more information about participating in Up ‘til Dawn next year, contact Jahmela McGhee at 773-841-1818.