ALSAC/St. Jude National Convention Comes to Memphis

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (ALSAC)
Thursday, 22 June 2000

Marlo Thomas, Phil Donahue participate in highlights of the 43rd Annual Convention

(Memphis, Tennessee, June 22, 2000) The ALSAC®/St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® 43rd annual national convention will be held in Memphis June 22 – 24, featuring members of hospital founder Danny Thomas' family, including Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue, as well as key donors, volunteers, patients and board members, all of whom will be on hand to assess the ongoing expansion of the hospital campus.

Held in conjunction with a full board meeting, the ALSAC/St. Jude National Convention has historically served as a vehicle for the Board of Directors and Governors to mobilize local communities around the country to support the hospital's mission. The convention will now be held every three years in Memphis, allowing ALSAC/St. Jude to bring key donors, volunteers, groups and corporate partners to the hospital where they can see first-hand the life-saving work at St. Jude.

The theme of this year's convention is "Touching Tomorrow by Dreaming Today." The convention will be marked by several days of business meetings and high-profile events, beginning with the Memphis International Airport dedicating its main terminal to Danny Thomas in honor of the international recognition he and St. Jude brought to Memphis.

The Thomas family will then dedicate the first newly-constructed building in the five-year St. Jude expansion, the Tamer-Rashid ALSAC building. The building honors two former national executive directors of ALSAC, the fund-raising arm of St. Jude: Michael F. Tamer and Baddia J. Rashid.

The Thomas Family Brunch will celebrate the generosity of the donors, volunteers, groups and corporate partners who have embraced Danny Thomas' dream. Among this year's recipients is supermodel Amber Valletta, who will receive the Celebrity of the Year Award.

Phil Donahue will return to his roots to host "Meet the Patients," asking four St. Jude patients and their families to share their stories of battling childhood cancer. Donahue, who used the television talk show format he pioneered in 1967 to interview world leaders, newsmakers, celebrities and people from all walks of life, is the husband of Danny Thomas' daughter and St. Jude National Outreach Director Marlo Thomas.

The 2000 convention will culminate with an elegant and emotional grand banquet celebrating Memphis events that support St. Jude. Marlo Thomas is the keynote speaker. Songwriters from Nashville will provide the night's entertainment with acoustic performances of their hit songs.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, in Memphis, Tennessee, was founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas. The hospital is an internationally recognized biomedical research center dedicated to finding cures for catastrophic diseases of childhood. The hospital's work is supported through funds raised by the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC). All St. Jude patients are treated regardless of their ability to pay. ALSAC covers all costs of treatment beyond those reimbursed by third party insurers, and total costs for families who have no insurance.

For more information, or to contact St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (ALSAC), see their website at: www.stjude.org