On Monday morning, students trying to raise money to host an alternative BYU commencement ceremony were $11,000 short of the $20,000 they needed for the event.

But by Monday night, they'd blown past their goal, organizers say, mostly thanks to a plea on the popular liberal Web site Daily Kos.

The BYU students are raising money to host Ralph Nader, Pete Ashdown and Jack Healey in an alternative ceremony because they are unhappy that Vice President Dick Cheney will be speaking at the official commencement.

By Friday, organizer Eric Bybee said the group had raised just $9,000 toward a $20,000 goal. But Steven Greenstreet, who is making a documentary on the Cheney visit, posted the request for money on DailyKos.com on Friday after interviewing Bybee and deciding to do something about their cash problem.

On Monday, organizer Ashley Sanders said she thought something had gone wrong with the Internet account where the group was receiving donations because money was pouring in.

Greenstreet's blog chronicled the struggles the group had finding a venue.

"They searched in every nook and cranny in the city of Provo for a place to hold their alternative commencement and they had the door slammed in their faces. They had been 'blacklisted' in Provo. Someone was trying to make it as hard as possible for them to succeed," the blog said.

Sanders said she had gone so far as to join a migraine study to earn money.

But after 10 hours at the clinic, she found she would not be allowed to participate in the study. Then, she said, she was scared.

"I just got really desperate," Sanders said.

The influx of money is changing her mood. Sanders said that now she can concentrate on her school work.

"I'm going to go with my head high and take my Spanish final," she said.

Bybee called Monday's events incredible and amazing.

"I didn't even think that something like this could happen. I really thought that we would barely scrape by, by begging people for money at the event," he said.

Greenstreet said he is happy for the group.

"I'm as giddy as a school kid today," he said.

The blog is available at www.dailykos.com under the headline "Mormon Cheney Protesters Pay the Price."

More information about the alternative commencement is available at www.byualternativecommencement.com.

The event will be held Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the McKay Events Center in Orem.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A6.