'Nashville Star' winner delivers gifts at Target House

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (ALSAC)
Wednesday, 31 December 2003

Buddy Jewell, the singer who took the top prize in the Nashville Star television show, came to St. Jude in December to bring some holiday cheer to the St. Jude patients staying at Target House... thanks to the generous guests of target.com.

Jewell was in Memphis to hand out to children at the Target House presents that had been purchased by online shoppers as part of target.com's St. Jude Wish List. Throughout November, target.com asked its guests to purchase a holiday gift for a child undergoing treatment at St. Jude. It marked the third year that target.com has asked its guests to help brighten the holidays for children undergoing treatment for catastrophic illnesses.

Because treatments are ongoing, many of the St. Jude patients and their families are forced to spend the holidays at Target House and other St. Jude housing facilities, away from hometown family and friends. The St. Jude Wish List brings additional holiday cheer to these families who are facing such challenging times.

From Goodnight Moon board books to a Chicco Puppy Vet Kits, and from Timex IronKids Watches to Isaac Mizrahi mini black bags, target.com guests purchased numerous toys for the children, many distributed at the annual Target House holiday party. In addition to the holiday party, gifts may also be distributed at other events throughout the year as well as basic household items such as linens, comforters and kitchen utensils that were included on the Wish List to help the families throughout the year.

Jewell also treated the kids to a private concert of holiday carols and songs from his new album. Jewell is a longtime supporter of St. Jude, knowing first-hand the importance of the hospital's research, since his cousin underwent lifesaving treatment here.

"Helping St. Jude's has been a goal of mine ever since my cousin Michael Haile was treated for a terminal illness there several years ago," Jewell wrote in his first journal entry at the Nashville Star Web site. "Although Michael lost his battle in 1980, St. Jude helped to give his parents and the rest of our family 15 wonderful years with him. Hats off to the wonderful staff at St. Jude."

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