Who says snail mail is dead?The sore fingers, bleary eyes and tirelesseffort by hundreds of Sacramento State students will benefitchildren with serious illnesses. An estimated $20,000 was raised bystudents during the letter writing campaign.The “Up ’til Dawn” event,held Friday in the Dining Commons, was not only to announce thesuccess of the drive, but also an event to thank the hundreds ofstudents who participated on behalf of St. Jude’s ChildrenHospital.Every year many students participate in theSt. Jude’s fund-raiser. The students distribute thousands ofletters to friends and relatives in order to receive donationstoward the hospital’s cause. This year, over 4,500 letterswere distributed by students.The St. Jude’s Children ResearchHospital is an international program that, for the past 30 years,has treated children with serious illnesses such as cancer.Worldwide, less than 30 percent of children with cancer have directaccess to modern treatment.The hospital’s International OutreachProgram has assisted many Latin American and Asian countries thatlack adequate resources to treat sick children. The hospital wasnamed after the patron saint of lost causes.”No child has ever been turned awaybecause of events like this,” said Eric Sanders, St.Jude’s Hospital fund-raiser.Sanders estimated that the students had raised$20,000 this year, and nearly $40,000 has been raised by studentsin the last two years. Sanders said the advantage of a student-runfund-raiser is that the cost to raise money for the hospital isquite low and operates with ease.Over 100 schools in the United Statesparticipated in the St. Jude fund raising event this year. Sanderssaid the efforts of students across the country have raised over $2million this year.”It’s a lot of fun raising moneyfor charity,” said Tiffany Gordon, vice president of Greekactivities.”The things that (students) are doingtoday are making a difference for children and families,”said Don Langford, director of marketing and promotions for KOOL101.9, a Sacramento radio station.Langford became actively involved with St.Jude’s Hospital when his daughter, Analise, was diagnosedwith Hodgkin’s disease seven years ago.”She survived because she had a will tolive and had a place where she could have the medicine tolive,” Langford said.Langford said, in the 1960s, six out of 10children diagnosed with cancer died. Since the hospital wasestablished, the survival rate has dramatically increased.Years ago, when Langford worked at a countrymusic station, he was approached by Randy Owens, lead singer fromAlabama. Owens had inquired about the children’s hospital andhow he could help. Since then, many other country stars and countrystations have gotten involved with St. Jude’s hospital andhave raised and contributed over $100 million.Student executive director of the “Up’til Dawn” program, Erin Gatton, said she got involvedwith the program “so that our campus could help give back toa hospital that gives so much to the rest of the world.”