By Angel Glover
Contributing Writer
For the past two months, Sewanee students have been working hard to raise money for the children of St. Jude’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. By working within teams of 7-10 peers, students used emails, social media, and personal fundraising page links to reach out to family and friends. At the beginning of February, coordinators set a fundraising goal of $20,000. To date, the goal has been exceeded by over 30%, having raised $27,460 by mid-April. This incredible surplus sets the standard for future goals and reflects the power of Sewanee students coming together for a common goal.
Seeing so many team members reach and surpass their fundraising goals was not only encouraging, but also heartwarming because a disease that affects so many families can bring students together. In order to celebrate the achievements of this year’s efforts, the inaugural event Pickin’ on the Plateau took place Tuesday, April 12 featuring Chatham County Line and Boy Named Banjo. The evening began with Boy Named Banjo at Lake Cheston, followed by bluegrass from Chatham County Line to celebrate the accomplishments of the volunteers’ fundraising efforts.
Prior to the event, a small cocktail reception was held at the Sewanee Inn where faculty members, a patient family currently supported by St. Jude, and Chatham County Line band members were able to share stories and reasons behind their support for St. Jude. Following the reception, the open community event Pickin’ on the Plateau took place at the Lake Cheston Amphitheater. This year’s achievements are something to be proud of and the logistics committee looks forward to surpassing next year’s goal.