Give Thanks. One Step at a Time. A Walk to Benefit St. Jude
Toledo, Ohio – November 3, 2008 –Residents of Toledo have the unique opportunity to participate in the Give Thanks. Walk, which will occur in 15 cities across the country on Saturday, November 22, and benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, one of the world’s premier pediatric cancer research centers. The event, which coincides with the fifth annual St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign, provides residents with the opportunity to take part in a fun, healthy event as a prelude to the busy holiday season while also supporting St. Jude. The Thanks and Giving campaign encourages consumers across the country to “Give thanks for the healthy kids in your life, and give to those who are not.”
The Toledo Give Thanks. Walk will be held at the Franklin Park Mall. Registration will begin at 7:30am, and the walk will begin at 8:00am. Participants will complete enough laps to equal a 5K (3.1 mile) walk. In preparation for the event, participants are encouraged to ask family and friends to sponsor them with a donation to help St. Jude find cures and save children.
“Participating in the Give Thanks. Walk will inspire hope in children fighting cancer and other catastrophic diseases throughout the nation,” said David L. McKee, chief operating officer and interim CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising organization of St. Jude. “Each and every step will support the lifesaving research and treatment that happens every day at St. Jude – all provided regardless of a family’s ability to pay.”
For additional information and to register, visit www.givethankswalk.org. The registration fee is $25 for adults and $15 for children under 12. All registered participants will receive a Give Thanks. Walk t-shirt and the satisfaction of helping some of the sickest kids in the world.
Other cities joining Toledo in this one-day event are Atlanta, Ga.; Palm Desert, Calif.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Richmond, Va.; Raleigh, N.C.; Charleston, S.C.; Knoxville, Tenn., South Bend, Ind.; Huntsville, Ala.; Hobbs, N.M.; Phoenix, Ariz.; St. Louis, Mo.; Tulsa, Okla.; and Mattoon, Ill.
About St. Jude
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. St. Jude is the first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family’s inability to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization. For more information, please visit www.stjude.org.
About Thanks and Giving
The St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Thanks and Giving national campaign is an unprecedented union of celebrities, media, retail and corporate partners that ask consumers to “Give thanks for the healthy kids in your life, and give to those who are not.” The Thanks and Giving initiative was created in 2004 by Marlo Thomas and her siblings Terre and Tony Thomas, children of St. Jude founder Danny Thomas. Funds raised by the campaign support the lifesaving work of St. Jude – to find cures for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. St Jude impacts the lives of children in communities across the country. Consumers are asked to shop at companies where the St. Jude green magnifying glass logo is displayed; donate online at www.stjude.org, where a list of fund-raising partners is available, or call 1-800-4STJUDE.
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