Thanks and Giving



Thanks and Giving is the national fund-raising program of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, a leading pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children's catastrophic diseases that was founded by the late entertainer, Danny Thomas. The program, created in 2004, unites celebrities, media, retail and corporate partners in fund-raising activities from Thanksgiving until the New Year.

Thanks and Giving was created by St. Jude National Outreach Director Marlo Thomas and her siblings Terre and Tony Thomas, children of hospital founder Danny Thomas. Customers nationwide are asked to help raise funds at participating retailers by adding a donation at check out or by purchasing specialty items to benefit St. Jude.

Unique mission of St. Jude
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas, is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatments that are not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay.

St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center that fully pays for lodging, food and travel for patients and their families.

Since opening in 1962, St. Jude has treated children from all 50 states and more than 70 foreign countries. St. Jude treats about 160 patients each day, and has 4,900 patients in active status.

In 1962, the survival rate for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common form of childhood cancer, was 4 percent. Today, the survival rate for ALL is 94 percent thanks to research and treatment protocols developed at St. Jude.

The hospital’s daily operating costs are $1,216,247, which are primarily covered by public contributions. Eighty-five cents of every dollar St. Jude receives goes directly to research and treatment.

Research findings at St. Jude are shared with doctors and scientists all over the world. St. Jude also enjoys a worldwide reputation as a teaching facility.