Thousands of college women have pushed a long-running fundraising effort to a new high.
Tri Delta, a college sorority with chapters across the United States and Canada, has raised $125 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital after reaching another fundraising milestone of $25 million.
The announcement came during Tri Delta’s annual celebration at St. Jude in Memphis, Tennessee, where about 400 members from more than 130 chapters gathered to mark nearly three decades of fundraising.
The partnership between Tri Delta and St. Jude began in 1999. Over the past 27 years, members have organized pancake breakfasts, fun runs, letter-writing campaigns and community fundraisers.
“No act is too small to make a difference,” Tri Delta said.
The fundraising has helped support St. Jude’s mission and fund Tri Delta Place, a short-term housing facility where patient families stay when they first arrive for treatment.
Support from groups including Tri Delta helps make it possible for families at St. Jude to never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing or food.
During this year’s celebration, members toured the hospital campus and visited the Danny Thomas Research Center, the Danny Thomas ALSAC Pavilion and Tri Delta Place.
“We are incredibly proud to be the Official Partner of Kindness to St. Jude,” Tri Delta CEO Mindy Tucker said. “This accomplishment puts us well on our way toward meeting our next fundraising goal with St. Jude, $100 million by 2038.”
ALSAC President and CEO Ike Anand said the milestone reflected the group’s long-term commitment.
“This $25 million milestone reflects the strength of Tri Delta’s dedication to making a difference for kids in the U.S. and around the world,” Anand said. “We are grateful for their continued generosity as St. Jude builds on that legacy to advance research and care for children from around the world.”
Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped increase the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent decades ago to more than 80 percent today.
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