Welcome to St. Jude Sundays. This month I’m dedicating my Sundays to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month as I train and fundraise for the St. Jude Memphis Marathon this December.
There were many things about St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital that touched my heart but as a former teacher, I loved peeking in the windows of St. Jude School.
The School Program at St. Jude allows patients to continue with their education while receiving treatment for childhood cancer and other life threatening diseases. It is an accredited Special Purpose School that has 6 teachers, two ESL coordinators, and a school liaison who provides instruction for patients in grades K-12.
The classrooms are open every day and teachers are available for instruction at different times. Kids enrolled in the program receive at least three hours of instruction each week. The program encourages patients to use books and assignments from their home schools. Assignments can be sent to St. Jude by fax, mail or email. They provide curriculum materials if it is not possible to get assignments from your child’s home school, services to assist patients with their academic progress, and also help for students returning to school after treatment.
The flexibility of The School Program at St. Jude ensures that education remains a priority for children during their treatment but also provides a sense of routine and normalcy, safe place to learn, and a place for them to get away from the hospital world.
St. Jude School is free to all St. Jude kids and families who never have to pay a dime for treatment, travel, housing, or food.
Kindergarten graduation at St. Jude School, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Image courtesy of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Here are 5 Ways You Can Help St. Jude
- Make a tax deductible donation support my St. Jude Memphis Marathon Race. I am thrilled to be less than $400 away from my $2,500 goal and every dollar helps- even $1, like Danny Thomas used to say! I know with your help, I can meet my fundraising goal to help the kids of St. Jude.
- Cheer me on via social media! I’m always posting training updates via my Instagram photos. I’m also going to be sharing information about St. Jude on the Tech Savvy Mama Facebook page every Sunday until race day in December.
- Rally friends, family and community members to register for the St. Jude Walk/Run to End Childhood Cancer on Sept. 17, 24 and 25. Registration is $10 for adults and children ages 6 and older. Visit stjude.org/walkrun to find an event near you.
- Learn more about how you can help at stjude.org/together.
- Join @StJude on social media and use the hashtag #StJude to show your support.
Read my other blog posts about St. Jude:
- Why I’m Running 13.1 Miles for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
- Why You’ll Love Target Even More After Seeing These Photos
I visited St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as a blog ambassador but am not compensated for my role and am personally covering my race expenses for the St. Jude Memphis Marathon.
