St. Jude’s Impact On St. Mary’s And the Community

By: Victoria Ouyang

This weekend, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is hosting their annual “Marathon Weekend,” which includes a 5K, 10K, half marathon, and full marathon.  For the second year, St. Mary’s is partnering with the hospital and has an official team for the race. The partnership between St. Mary’s and St. Jude allows our school to support the hospital as they research, treat, and work to defeat childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Find out more about the weekend and the partnership. 

       This weekend, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is hosting their annual “Marathon Weekend,” which includes a 5K, 10K, half marathon, and full marathon.  For the second year, St. Mary’s is partnering with the hospital and has an official team for the race. The partnership between St. Mary’s and St. Jude allows our school to support the hospital as they research, treat, and work to defeat childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Coach Hensarling, says, “The partnership came down to two things: wanting to promote health and wellness and getting behind a cause that was real to a lot of people.  It’s important for us to give back to the Memphis community and because we do have so many connections with St. Jude, whether it’s parents or grandparents who work there, or siblings, students, and faculty who receive treatment there, St. Jude was a perfect match for St. Mary’s.”
      It is thanks to relationships like this that St. Jude is able never to send a family a bill for travel, food, treatment, or housing. Rather, they believe that the only thing a family should be worried about is helping their child live. Serving about 7,800 patients a year, St. Jude’s daily operating cost is $2 million dollars, all of which is funded primarily by donors. Emily Ferguson (9) has been a patient at St. Jude for nearly fifteen years and shares, “When I was first diagnosed and they told me that I had cancer, there was so much sympathy. It was really touching. Throughout my treatment, the people of St. Jude really cared about my well-being and did everything they could to make me feel as at home as possible. St. Jude has basically been my home away from home.”
        On Saturday, runners will wind through Downtown, Midtown, and through the St. Jude campus itself. While the festivities of the day are fun, what many runners cherish the most is why they run. Emma Mansberg (12), who is participating in the Half Marathon for the 5th year, says, “I run for the kids, and each year I continue to be motivated by the work of St. Jude. I keep running for that half-mile that goes through St. Jude. The high fives I get from all of the kids keep me going right when I feel like I want to give up, and I love seeing Memphis come together to rally for the kids and the runners. The race is just another opportunity to make a difference while also bringing the community together.”
       This weekend, St. Mary’s will be hosting the Cheer Section at Mile Marker One on the corner of Beale Street and Danny Thomas Blvd. Everyone is invited to come at 8:00 a.m. to support the Memphis community, St. Jude, and all of the runners.