Celebrating a JOY-Inspired Partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®

Celebrating a JOY-Inspired Partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®

Calvin, age 12, was diagnosed with a brain tumor (craniopharyngioma), and the spunky third-grader battled his way through the illness with signature dance moves, delighting the workers at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital^®.

Then there’s others like St. Jude patient Dallas, age 12, diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder. Dallas dreams of being a meteorologist, calling the shots in the spotlight of a major TV weather channel, and said St. Jude employees mean the world to him because they’re like his family.

St. Jude exists to help families like Calvin’s and Dallas’, to ensure those 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. In fact, each year St. Jude treats about 8,500 children, like Calvin and Dallas, who have cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

It’s for those reasons Joy Cone Co. has, for the second year in a row, joined the thousands of contributors to raise $100,000 to support the St. Jude mission: Finding cures. Saving children.^®

“Joy Cone and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital share a mutual interest in bringing joy to children’s lives no matter what they are going through,” said Richard Shadyac, Jr., president and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude. “We’re grateful to be united in the fight to end childhood cancer.”

Gifts that Give

It will cost more than $1 billion to operate St. Jude this year, and the majority of that must come from generous donors. What’s more? Treatments for pediatric cancer can last up to three years or more and cost on average $425,000, including any associated expenses.

Because the majority of funding comes from individual contributors, St. Jude has the freedom to focus on what matters most — saving kids regardless of their financial situation. Every dollar makes a difference. Below you can see a breakdown of just how far a donation — or sum of donations — can go.

• $3 helps provide pediatric isolation masks to help protect patients with compromised immune systems.
• $36 helps provide a St. Jude family with meals for one day in the Kay Kafe, the St. Jude cafeteria.
• $100 helps provide a platelet count test for two patients. Platelet counts are among the tests doctors use to monitor patient health during treatment.
• $250 helps provide a meal card for a St. Jude family for one week. St. Jude provides patients and their families with meal cards for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in Kay Kafe.
• $500 helps provide one platelet transfusion. During chemotherapy, the platelet count of patients can drop to dangerously low levels, so platelet transfusions are essential for treatment.
• $750 helps cover the cost of five days of oxygen for a St. Jude patient. During treatments, St. Jude patients may need oxygen to help their bodies function properly in healing.
• $2,500 helps cover the cost of 16 days of oxygen for a St. Jude patient.
• $5,000 helps cover the cost of the daily room rate of the ICU.
• $10,000 helps provide grocery gift cards for two years for one St. Jude family.
• $25,000 helps cover the cost of a major surgical procedure.

In addition to Joy Cone’s $100,000 donation, the Joy Cone family has also joined together for the second year in a row to help St. Jude families through the Joy Cone Employee Giving Campaign taking place throughout June 2019. Any money donated by employees during this time will be added to the amount that Joy Cone has already pledged to donate to St. Jude. The 2018 Employee Giving Campaign raised over $50,000.

“St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital really is the perfect partner for Joy Cone,” said Joy Cone CEO/President David George. “We are continually inspired by St. Jude and their dedication to defeating childhood cancer, and their desire to not just treat the child, but to also create a support system for the child’s family. Joy has a similar commitment to family, so it’s a natural fit for Joy Cone to support St. Jude.”

St. Jude patients Major, age 2; Jasmine, age 15; and Ja’Kasha, age 7; siblings diagnosed with sickle cell disease. Pictured with mother, Demetrius.

How You Can Help

Looking for ways you can get involved? The great news is anyone, anywhere, can help the families of St. Jude.

One of the best ways to support St. Jude is by becoming a Partner in Hope. As a Partner In Hope, you’re part of a special community of monthly donors who are committed to saving children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Your monthly gift ensures families can focus on their loved ones in need, rather than how to pay for treatment and associated costs.

Head to stjude.org to learn more about how St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats, and defeats childhood cancer, and see how you can join Joy Cone in contributing to its mission.