When we were young, many of us didn’t have a care in the world. Now that we are older (approaching our 40-year high school reunion!), most, if not all of us, have come to the realization that life is short. The saying, “We are only given today and never promised tomorrow,” takes on new meaning.

We all go through struggles, and hopefully, we all have someone there for us when we do. We believe and hope you will agree that the kids being treated at St. Jude have been dealt a rough hand. Their lives and the lives of their families have been turned upside down. We set up this fundraiser in honor of our 40-year high school reunion so we can be there for them.

Here are 13.1 reasons we believe St. Jude is worth our support:

1. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other deadly diseases.
2. St. Jude has the world’s best survival rates for the most aggressive childhood cancers.
3. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food — because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.
4. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to more than 80% since it opened more than 50 years ago.
5. The budgeted daily operating cost of St. Jude is $2 million. Approximately 75% of the budgeted costs of St. Jude are covered by public contributions.
6. St. Jude freely shares the breakthroughs it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children.
7. St. Jude was the first institution to develop a cure for sickle cell disease with a bone marrow transplant and has one of the largest pediatric sickle cell programs in the country.
8. St. Jude has increased the survival rates for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) from 4 percent before opening in 1962 to 94 percent today.
9. The survival rate for medulloblastoma, a type of brain tumor, increased from 10 percent to 85% today.
10. St. Jude is where doctors often send their toughest cases because St. Jude has the world’s best survival rates for some of the most aggressive childhood cancers.
11. St. Jude treats approximately 7,800 patients each year, and follows all patients for 10 years or more after active treatment ends.
12. St. Jude is working to increase the overall childhood cancer survival rate to 90 percent in the next decade.
13. And that’s not enough. St. Jude won’t stop until no child dies of cancer.

13.1  We believe in the mission of St. Jude so much so that we will be training for several months to run in the St. Jude’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville races for these kids.

Let’s show these kids and their families what the power of community and generosity can do for their lives. Please click here to donate to one or more of our runners and let’s make this 40-year reunion one with a legacy we will always remember.

P.S. The photo is Beckett Papa with one of his doctors at St. Jude.