St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital is a cause very close to my heart. The organization, founded in 1962, has treated children with cancer and other diseases. St. Jude's has been one of the leaders in changing the way Medical Science approaches pediatric oncology.
Good family friends of ours, the Shadyacs, are heavily involved with the organization. My best friend Tim's grandfather, Rick Shadyac, Sr., was the ALSAC CEO (the fundraising arm of St. Jude's) from 1992-2005. Now Tim's dad, Rick, Jr., is taking the helm next year in Memphis, TN.
Rick Shadyac, Sr.
The hospital costs about $1.5 Million a day to run, and the organization is set up so that families of all children in need of treatment and care who are accepted don't have to worry about the staggering medical costs. The hospital is funded almost entirely by charitable donations.
St. Judes, founded and run by Lebanese-Americans, also realized founder Danny Thomas's dream in 2002 when the Children's Cancer Center of Lebanon was established in 2002 in Beirut, Lebanon.
Working alongside organizations like Ronald McDonald House, Target, Domino's Pizza, the Williams-Sonoma family of brands, CVS/pharmacy, Kmart, Kay Jewelers, 7-Eleven, Inc., American Airlines, American Kiosk Management, AutoZone, Brooks Brothers, Busch Gardens, Casual Male XL, Catherines, Diane von Furstenberg, Dollar General, Easy Spirit, General Nutrition Centers, Gymboree, HSN, J. P. Morgan Chase, Marshall's, The Melting Pot, Memphis Grizzlies (NBA), Nine West, Rochester, Sag Harbor, Saks Fifth Avenue, SeaWorld, St. Louis Rams (NFL), West Elm, Westfield Shoppingtowns, and Yahoo!, St. Jude's is able to reach more people to help their cause.
I'm not writing this post to try to force people to donate money. If you do, then God Bless You. I'm just writing this so that you realize how lucky you are to have good health and that there are people around us less fortunate and also as a reminder that sometimes, doing good things, regardless of what you get out of it is the most rewarding thing in life.
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