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Student groups raise awareness about childhood cancer
RELEASED: Oct. 20, 2005
DANVILLE, KY—The Centre College volunteer group Up 'til Dawn will join with the Pre-Med Society to sponsor a special event to raise awareness about childhood cancer. The program will be held Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. in Young Hall room 101.
Titled "Treatment of Childhood Cancers: Researcher and Patient Perspectives," it will feature two guest speakers. Dr. Jason Rawlings is a postdoctoral associate at Howard Hughes Medical Institute and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. MacKenzie Hall is a cancer patient and Up 'til Dawn-sponsored child. Rawlings will discuss the state of research on childhood cancers, and he and MacKenzie will talk about the St. Jude's facilities and patient experiences.
Rawlings, a native of Kentucky, received a bachelor's degree with honors in biology from Furman University and earned a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Kentucky. His current research has implications for the treatment of cancer, specifically acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most commonly diagnosed cancer in children.
This event is one of several events as part of Up 'til Dawn's year-long effort to raise money for St. Jude's. One of the world's premier centers for research and treatment of catastrophic diseases in children and primarily pediatric cancers, the hospital was founded by entertainer Danny Thomas and opened in 1962. St. Jude is the only pediatric research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay.
The Centre community raised $16,000 for the hospital last year, and Up 'til Dawn hopes its efforts this year will bring in more than $20,000. The group sponsors "letter writing parties" in which students, faculty, and staff address pre-written letters asking family and friends to donate money to the hospital.
Up 'til Dawn is planning an event to celebrate their success in April. Sommer Bailey, executive director Up 'til Dawn and a junior, says, "We will be staying 'up 'til dawn' from approximately 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. to celebrate the money Centre raised and to give back to the students and faculty for their efforts."- end -
Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/
For news archives go to http://www.centre.edu/web/news/newsarchive.html.
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