PEORIA, Ill. – St. Jude Week gets underway with the annual Memphis to Peoria run beginning Tuesday morning and the telethon raising millions of dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Over 2,500 runners will leave from Memphis and more than 30 satellite run locations, crossing the finish line at the Peoria Civic Center Saturday evening. Following the runners’ arrival, the telethon gets started at 6:30 p.m.
St. Jude Regional Executive Director Molly Graham tells 25 News this is a week to celebrate all the hard work done by the community to support the hospital and its patients.
“It’s just one week of showing how our community rallies, and then just how each generation is teaching the next,” Graham says.
Last year, people raised over $11 million for St. Jude. Graham says organization leaders hope to raise $1 million alone during the telethon. She says Central Illinois raises the most money per capita than any other St. Jude office outside of Memphis.
“I think it’s just one of those things you can pass down from generation to generation,“ Graham said. ”Being a part of something and being philanthropic in Central Illinois is just kind of who we are.”
Graham says the community support for St. Jude is part of a legacy. She says philanthropy is contagious, whether it is one of many kids’ lemonade stands across the region or a woman baking pies to raise money.
“I think as a community, we all take such great responsibility in teaching our children young on how to be philanthropic and how to give back,” Graham says. “I think that’s one of the best parts about our community.”
Graham says the most exciting part of St. Jude week for her is seeing the sheer number of people coming out and giving to a cause.
“The lives touched and just the real sense of community, and that isn’t geography, right?” Graham says. “That is a group of people coming together to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.”
The Memphis to Peoria run leaves for Memphis early Tuesday morning. They will begin the run back to Peoria on Wednesday, before arriving Saturday afternoon.
The 48th annual St. Jude Telethon will air Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on WEEK.
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