More than 2,500 runners united across the Midwest in support of pediatric cancer research and treatment!
St. Jude Runs reached a historic milestone, raising $101 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® since the event’s founding in 1982.
More than 200 runners departed from the St. Jude campus in Memphis to complete a 465-mile journey to Peoria, Illinois, where they were joined by participants from 32 community runs across Illinois and Missouri. Together, the 2,550 runners gathered to cheer each community’s fundraising efforts, leading to the announcement that the runs combined had crossed the $100 million mark this year.
“It was an incredible honor to participate in the 45th St. Jude Memphis to Peoria Run with thousands of St. Jude Runs participants who, under the leadership of founder Mike McCoy and a dedicated team of volunteers, are raising funds for children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases,” said Kera Getter, chief financial officer of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “While we each have our own reason for supporting this mission, we share a commitment to bringing hope to St. Jude families and helping St. Jude advance research and treatment that benefit children in communities across the country and around the world.”
What began as a grassroots effort has grown into one of the longest-running and most successful St. Jude fundraising traditions. This year’s event brought together a diverse group of participants, including McCoy, Victoria Arlen, Paralympic gold medalist and ESPN reporter, and Dr. Elizabeth A. Stewart,
a St. Jude pediatric oncologist and physician-scientist who has taken part in the run for more than two decades.
Funds raised continue to support the promise that families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food, so they can focus on helping their child live. To learn more about St. Jude Runs and get involved, visit Stjuderuns.org.
Mike McCoy displays the event’s historic fundraising total of more than $101 million, marking a milestone in the 45-year tradition supporting St. Jude.
Courtesy of ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
