Hello! Another year, another St. Jude donation letter. Sometimes it seems like life repeats itself, and we fall into the routine of doing the same things over and over. I try not to take it for granted when life runs smoothly and predictably like that. So often, things happen that upset that easy flow of life and suddenly throw everything into chaos. In our case, we had a miscarriage. Then a baby with a birth defect that required surgery at birth and a long hospitalization. Then a tornado that destroyed our home. And then the one we all weathered together: COVID. For St. Jude patients and their families, a cancer diagnosis is one of those life-changing moments that puts a stop to everything predictable or easy. I run for St. Jude to support those families as they fight to overcome one of the most difficult challenges of their lives. On August 5th, I’ll lace up my shoes for my ninth St. Jude run. Renee will be joining me again this year for her second run. We run to show St. Jude families that their children aren’t fighting cancer alone. We run to raise money for research, treatment, and a cure. We run to bring hope. In 2015, I ran my first run in honor of my friend Julie’s son, Nathan. In the following years, I ran in memory of Nathan and in honor of my friend Courtney’s son, Reed. Unfortunately, in 2023 I’ll be running for Nathan, for Reed, and for my friend Amanda’s daughter, Eileen, who was diagnosed in January with ALCL, a type of non-Hodgkin T-Cell lymphoma. In my own little social circle, that’s three kids and families whose lives are forever impacted by childhood cancer. I can bring meals and run errands and send encouraging texts and pray and pray and pray to support my friends on a personal level. But to fund treatment? To find a cure? St. Jude needs a steady flow of money. Did you know? • The St. Jude Runs fundraising total over the past 41 years is $76,617,384.00. • Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survivor rate from 20% when they opened in 1962 to more than 80% today. • Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food so that they can focus on the most important thing – helping their child live. • The daily budgeted operating cost of St. Jude is $2,000,000. Approximately 75% of that is covered by public contributions. • All costs for the running events are covered by volunteers and donations from local businesses, so 100% of every dollar donated to the runs goes to St. Jude. • St. Jude treats children from all 50 states and around the world. If you would like to join Renee and me in helping to support the work of St. Jude, please click on the red Donate button. Whether or not you are able to donate monetarily, please hold the kids and families of St. Jude in your thoughts and prayers. It is for them that we run. Thanks so much! Helen and Renee