Papers - St Jude's Hospital Gold Tournament

       The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Consistent with the vision of our founder Danny Thomas, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family’s ability to pay.

       Our vision is to be the world leader in advancing the treatment and prevention of catastrophic diseases in children. This vision will be pursued by providing outstanding patient care; by conducting basic, transnational and clinical research designed to elucidate biological mechanisms, understand disease pathogenesis, improve diagnosis, enhance treatment outcome, prevent diseases and minimize adverse consequences of treatment; and by educating health care and scientific research professionals. Through these efforts we seek to cure and enhance the quality of life for an increasing proportion of children who come to us for treatment, and by expanding and sharing knowledge, to advance treatment of children with catastrophic diseases world-wide, while developing strategies to prevent catastrophic diseases in children.

       The American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC) is the financial backbone of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Founded in 1957 by the late entertainer Danny Thomas, ALSAC was originally composed of volunteers representing Danny’s own Arabic heritage. The universal appeal of the hospital’s lifesaving mission soon brought Americans from all faiths and ethnic backgrounds into ALSAC’s fund-raising activities. ALSAC and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are separate corporations with separate governing bodies. The same volunteers, however, constitute both the Board of Directors of ALSAC and the St. Jude Board of Governors. This arrangement allows the professional staffs of both organizations to focus totally on their areas of expertise: the hospital’s physicians, scientists, and staff on research and patient care, and ALSAC on obtaining financial support for the continued operation of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and for its efforts to cure catastrophic diseases of childhood. In this way, it continues to fulfill the vision that motivated Danny Thomas: that no child should die in the dawn of life.

       The ALSAC office in Edina, MN will be hosting a golf tournament at the River Falls Golf Club in River Falls, WI. We are requesting a grant because the money raised needs to go back to the children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The money raised is for the children.

Situation:

       There are children all over the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin that have catastrophic diseases what will or currently need treatment. There are a lot of families that do not have the money for their child to be treated. St. Jude’s is the place for them. Children receive treatment no matter their ability to pay. Due to this the hospital costs over $1 Million a day to operate. The River Falls Golf Tournament is a way to raise money to help the hospital run and achieve Danny Thomas’s Dream.

Activities:

       The goal is to raise the maximum amount of money through a 2-day golf tournament. In order to do this, the event needs to be advertised. Advertisements will be run in the newspapers in the Twin Cities, on Twin Cities television stations, and mainly on K102 Radio station due to they are supports of the Hospital. The grant money will be used all for advertising since is it very expensive. Advertising will begin 3 weeks before the event and run until the day before the event. Free advertising is available if the television stations and radio station attend the tournament. There also needs to be a silent auction and even a live auction. From past experience, this brings in about the same amount of money that the registration/tee fee does.

        We will consider this event a success if we are able to raise at least $20,000 for the children at the hospital. If we are unable to reach the set goal, we will still be satisfied because we are still making it possible for children to be treated. Every dollar counts when it is the life of a child.