I am very lucky, because I have a job where I am paid to do good things.  Volunteer work, emceeing events, helping non profits, raising money – it’s all part of what I am supposed to do.  And I love it.  It’s one of the things in my life I feel most fortunate about.  And the cause that I hold closest to my heart is St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.  Why you ask?  It’s hard to narrow it down to just a few reasons.

Both my aunt Carol (who along side my single mother helped to raise me) , and my professional mentor and friend Pete, are cancer survivors.  These two people have shaped my world so tremendously and I can’t imagine where my life would be without them.  I believe in heros – and these two would be on my list.

St. Jude is a research hospital.  They work every day to get closer to a cure for cancer.  Danny Thomas created the hospital in 1972 with the dream that “No Child Shall Die In The Dawn Of Life”.  Living in the deep South at that time, Danny also had the dream of a place where all children could be treated – regardless of their race or inability to pay.  Such a place was unheard of at the time, and he just simply didn’t care.

When the doors of St. Jude where opened – childhood cancer was a virtual death sentence.  In 1972 had you lined 100 kids up with A.L.L (the most common form of childhood cancer) 10 would have survived.  Today if you line up 100 kids – 90 would be looking at a bright future.  This is the work being done at St. Jude.

This research will carry over into cancer as a whole, and I truly believe the cure/treatment/cause/whatever will come out of the doors of that hospital.  The research done at St. Jude is not kept under lock and key (think how much money the person who finds the cure will make), it’s published to anyone and everyone who wants to know about it.  I get emails about every 3 months about a major advancement they have achieved, and most the time I can’t understand more than a handful of words.

It’s a magical place and I can’t wait to spend 2 days sharing my experiences during the St. Jude Radiothon.  Please become a Partner In Hope and Join Me on this crusade.  Together, we can make a huge difference!

“Don’t think that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens cannot change the world.  Indeed, that’s all that ever has.”  Margaret Meed

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