St. Jude Cancer Research Hospital

Memphis, Tennessee is known for many things. It is of course celebrated for Graceland, Elvis Presley’s home complete with memorabilia running the gamut from family photos to private jet aircraft. Memphis also has the requisite BBQ restaurants, a terrific assortment of architecturally interesting houses of worship, and The Memphis Redbirds, their minor League Baseball. The Peabody hotel in the heart of the city is home to a raft of ducks who live in a rooftop penthouse and ride the elevator down each day to promenade across a red carpet and report for their day job in the lobby fountain, until they return at night – always to the noise and excitement of a throbbing crowd.

Just five minutes down the street from the Peabody hotel is Beale Street, home to a multitude of bars playing Memphis Blues alongside EDM dance clubs. The rooms are full of people drinking, dancing, and enjoying the ambiance. However, even a philanthropic city like Memphis has its rough edges. Although the heart of the city is warm and inviting, there are some areas best left to the locals.

Last month hundreds of radio deejays, executives, social media influencers and journalists arrived in Memphis for the Country Cares Seminar. This is where executives from St. Jude’s Danny Thomas Cancer Research Hospital, industry professionals and leading influencers in music, radio and publishing begin planning for the annual fundraising drive. Radio has become an important element in fundraising for this staple of the children’s Cancer Research and treatment in this country.

It was in great part thanks to the efforts of Randy Owen, a member of Alabama – a seminal country music band founded in Fort Payne, Alabama in 1969 that radio joined the fight against cancer. Owen brought his influence and connections to attach country music to the fight against cancer, and in support of St. Jude. He got the artists to play to help raise awareness and funds. Then, he got radio stations across the country to add their support. Country radio, along with some rock and roll stations now devotes two days annually to a radio telethon which has raised nearly a billion dollars over the last several years.

St. Jude holds a three-day event in which they bring in the radio executives, and the DJs to coordinate their upcoming telethon. Musicians show up to add color to the room. This year rising star Breland attended. Scotty McCreery was given the Angels Among Us award, then performed live along with Randy Owen. It is fascinating to see philanthropy done well. St. Jude is specifically well organized in the ways it inspires and incentives those who help spread the word that its time again to donate.

The entire event is inspirational, led by Saint Jude executives and by speakers who have been through the treatment themselves. Cancer is a nasty disease and is certainly nothing we would ever wish upon a child. Saint Jude’s mission is to make sure that no child goes without treatment no matter the cost. The entire design of Saint Jude is twofold: get the very best doctors and scientists to find new ways to treat specific cancer related issues, and to provide treatment and housing for the afflicted family who can stay alongside the child being treated.

Much of cancer treatment is outpatient. The entire facility has less than 70 overnight beds. However, they have towers full of rooms and apartments where the child in treatment and members of their family can stay for up to a year or more depending on the necessary treatment.

Funds are raised from individual donors using television advertising, and also raised from corporations both big and small, from local companies, and philanthropic organizations who help to underwrite the cost of the treatment. Families in need can stay for free in the housing and can receive gift cards allowing them access to TargetTGT
, WalmartWMT
or other local stores to provide them food, clothing, and the necessities of life while they stand by their afflicted child.

Saint Jude does not rely upon insurance coverage to make medical decisions. They provide treatment with or without insurance coverage. St. Jude provides treatment which exceeds the limits of coverage that the child may have. Their goal is to help a child survive the disease or to do whatever is possible to make the patients remaining time better.

The basis of their philosophy that no child should be left on their own or at the mercy of family finances when fading facing such a terrible disease. The greatest obstacle to worldwide treatment of childhood cancers is access to the drugs themselves because they are expensive and, in many countries, there simply are not the resources available to acquire those drugs at scale.

This year, Rick Shadyac, Jr., St Jude’s president announced that they will be implementing a new program in which they make cancer treating drugs available around the world to 25% of those in need. Their ultimate goal is to be able to deliver 100% of the cancer treating drugs needed anywhere in the world to assist an afflicted child.

The fundraising operation at Saint Jude is well known. They run commercials on cable television seeking individual donations and commitments for monthly ongoing recurrent donations. The commercials are heart wrenching because this is a disease which is hard to turn away from. No child deserves cancer. The staff at the hospital themselves are uniformly invested in the mission of Saint Jude. Everybody understands the magic of what Danny Thomas put into play. Sadly, the success of Saint Jude only emphasizes the impossibly unfathomable lack of coherent uniform medical care across the country.

St. Jude has set the bar of what can be achieved with fanatical dedication, a wonderful board, and a long-term approach to building a vast network of contributors and supporters. They use the resources they’ve raised for research and treatment and their reputation reflects the efforts. Much credit is due to the hard work and organizational skill which has led them to discover ways to monetize fundraising which other organizations have yet to attempt.

The scale of the undertaking is huge, the problem is heartbreaking. Kudos to all who participate in giving of themselves, their time, and their talent to help children they’ve never met. Life offers many paths to contribute, seek redemption or just help tilt the axis away from tragedy and back toward joyousness. The selfless work done by all on behalf of innocents who must stare down the bleak reality of cancer is worthy of praise, encouragement, and support. www.stjude.org