WESTFIELD – WMCD Inc. volunteers and youth team members are gearing up for the organization’s signature yearly fundraiser, the fifth annual 25-Hour Charity All-Nighter on Feb. 27 and 28 at the Westfield Middle School. The night will support a slew of local charities with a marathon of food, games, music and more.
WMCD Inc. is a Westfield-based nonprofit where youth engage in hands-on leadership opportunities that give back. Driven by a “youth team” of students in grades 7-12, WMCD hosts annual 25-hour “all-nighters” that support local charity recipients.
The group began work in 2021 after finding inspiration from an all-nighter charity event led by students. Since then, they have hosted several events that have raised $102,337 for local charities through business and community support.
WMCD Marketing Manager Dominic Monti told The Westfield News that the annual all-nighter event is filled with adrenaline and fun, but it also serves as a great example of the sense of community built between volunteers and students in the youth team.
“I think that sense of community is really important for this event in particular,” explained Monti. “At the end of the event, when we reveal how much we’ve raised for charity, at that point, we’ve already gotten to know each other, and so that sense of community feels really strong between the volunteers and the participants, the businesses and the charities who have supported us throughout the year.”
The event officially kicks off Friday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m. and ends Saturday, Feb. 28, at 8 p.m. High School students have three registration options — all night, all day, or all hours — and are encouraged to register for the one that best fits their needs. Grades 6-8 can register for one all-inclusive experience, which includes admission for up to 13 hours of fun. High school registration is $25, and grades 6-8 registration is $15.
Youth team member Catherine O’Sullivan, a high school freshman, told The Westfield News that she was familiar with WMCD’s work before joining because her brother was on the original youth team. Now that she is in the midst of the work herself, O’Sullivan said it’s been a great experience because it has helped her grow as an individual, leader and organizer for charitable causes.
“I like that it’s always there, it’s just a good thing to be a part of always with charities and things like that,” said O’Sullivan. “I’ve met a lot of people through it and think the event, of course, is just so awesome. It’s a good opportunity for other people to give to charities.”
Each year, a new youth team selects the three charities that will benefit from the year’s fundraising efforts. Last year’s youth team totaled $33,832, a new monetary record. Monti said this year, they anticipate matching or exceeding that number.
The three local nonprofit charities selected by this year’s youth team include Rick’s Place, Brittney’s Believes and Rachel’s Table.
Rick’s Place provides critical grief support to children ages 5-18 and their families. WMCD said that they have been supported by WMCD Inc. since 2022.
Brittney’s Believers raises awareness and advocates for childhood cancer research. Through their work, they hope to find a breakthrough for better treatment options and provide comfort to those going through the same experience. Rachel’s Table battles widespread food insecurity by growing, gleaning, purchasing, and rescuing food, and WMCD has supported the organization since 2023.
One hundred percent of the funds raised by the Feb. 27 all-nighter will fuel the WMCD mission to raise awareness of these organizations, engage middle and high school students in hands-on leadership work to raise money and benefit these youth-selected recipients.
O’Sullivan said the youth team researched area charities in an effort to identify ones that focus on youth.
“I never really had any experience with talking to businesses and going to events [before this]. I just recently went to a Rachel’s Table event at the Ronald McDonald house along with some Rachel’s Table’s members. We made some tacos for the families staying there, and simple stuff like that makes me feel important, and I’m glad it helps other people. It’s just a good thing to be a part of,” added O’Sullivan.
With the incoming all-nighter, Monti added that it can be a difficult event to describe, but once you’re in it, you see firsthand the flurry of fun and energy for 25 straight hours.
“The all-nighter is hard to describe in words because it’s all of that and more. It’s 25 hours long. There’s delicious food, there’s games, there’s music; there are activities. Everything’s listed on our website, but it’s hard to describe the energy in the room because people are coming in, they’re singing, doing karaoke, they’re doing limbo. We have those giant inflatable bumper balls where you can go and bump into each other. There’s lots of confetti, there’s hearing about the causes.”
He continued, “It’s a giant celebration of what the community can do when we come together, and a giant celebration of how powerful this next generation of leaders is. When everyone kind of steps up to the plate just to see their visions and the causes they care about, see what can happen when we all rally behind that, brings this really unique energy that I can’t describe in any word except euphoria after being exhausted for 25 hours.”
O’Sullivan said that it is always funny to see many of the event’s adult volunteers pushing through an all-nighter.
“My mom’s like, ‘I can do any of the volunteer shifts, just not the 4 a.m.,’” said O’Sullivan with a laugh.
Monti said volunteer and sponsorship opportunities are always available, and those interested to visit their website. Donations are also always accepted at wmcd.org.
Reflecting on their fifth all-nighter this year, Monti said the milestone marker is a good showcase of how WMCD has grown in its first half-decade and the continued power of youth organizers coming together to support their communities through this unique experience.
“I think this five-year mark is a really good opportunity to see our mission put into action. Students like Catherine; she started helping us when she was in fifth grade, and now, she’s in her first year of high school. Just to see that growth over time. We have youth team members who are seniors this year who have been with us through every single event. I attended the first event, and I now volunteer as one of our MCs,” said Monti. “I think the nice part about it being our fifth year is we’re seeing our mission in action. We’re seeing tangible proof of the work that we’re doing and knowing the work that we’re doing is making a lasting impact.”
