Two Culver City women are warming up for a charity run to help the children of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, and teaming up with Rush Street this Sunday to raise money.
The St. Jude Chicago to Peoria Run is a 30-hour, 168-mile team run from Chicago, Ill. to Peoria, Ill. that takes place over two days in August, when temperatures are expected to reach about 95 degrees with 95% humidity.
Culver City’s Christine Crow and Corinne Fox will be running as part of team Children of the Corn – one of 20 relay teams participating as part of St. Jude’s fundraising telethon, which begins Aug. 5.
“This event goes far beyond the physical challenge of the run itself and extends to the life-changing experience of meeting the patients and their families, the supporters who rally along the route – even at 3 a.m. – and the sheriff, police and firefighters who pace and guide us safely the entire way,” Fox said. “I cannot begin to express how moving the whole experience is.”
The idea of co-founders Mike McCoy and Gene Pratt was to raise money for their favorite charity, St. Jude’s. The concept of driving to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. and then running back, relay-style, to the St. Jude Midwest Affiliate in Peoria, came to be one of the foremost charity running events in the nation. Each year since 1982, runners have paid for the honor to participate in the unique, 465-mile event.
Because not everyone could participate in the rigorous Memphis to Peoria Run, auxiliary runs were started from communities throughout Illinois and Missouri. Employees, including doctors and nurses from the St. Jude Hospital in Memphis also participate in this event along with runners several cities in the region. Each of those cities send runners to Peoria to meet the Memphis-to-Peoria Runners and help kick off the St. Jude Telethon. With 26 cities now participating, the runs have raised more than $22 million.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital receives 70% of its operating costs from private donations. It is the only pediatric cancer research center where families do not pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of a family’s inability to pay. Its mission is to advance cures and means of prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Consistent with the vision of its founder, the late Danny Thomas, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or ability to pay.
“It’s inspiring to me that no child is ever turned away from the hospital for lack of insurance. The donations help pay for any shortfall,” Crow said, adding, “I can’t think of a better reason to go on a 168-mile run.”
Crow and Fox will host the fundraising party in the upstairs lounge at the Chicago-themed restaurant On Sunday, July 31 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Rush Street will donate a portion of the evening’s proceeds to St. Jude’s as part of the fundraising effort. Patrons to the restaurant are encouraged to eat and drink – for the children. Donations will also be accepted.
Rush Street is located at 9546 Washington Blvd., Culver City.
For more information St. Jude’s, go to stjude.com. For more information about the runs or to learn how to participate, call the St. Jude Run office toll free at (800) 713-8223 or email stjuderuns.org/contacts. And watch the telethon and the runs live at week.com.