MEMPHIS, Tenn., Aug. 15, 2019 — Sky High for Kids recently announced a $20 million naming commitment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® for a research floor in the new Advanced Research Center on the St. Jude campus that will open in 2021.
By advancing research progress in the battle against childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases, the organization, which has helped raise over $5 million for St. Jude since 2007, will continue its fundraising commitment over the next 13 years to support and further the mission of St. Jude: Finding cures. Saving children®.
As a research hospital, St. Jude creates more clinical trials for cancer than any other children’s hospital, turning laboratory discoveries into lifesaving treatments that benefit patients around the globe.
Members of Sky High visited St. Jude to meet with patient families impacted by their fundraising efforts. They also heard from Dr. Ewelina Mamcarz, who highlighted the hospital’s latest discoveries through gene therapy and a new groundbreaking treatment for what is commonly known as ‘bubble boy’ disease.
“Through its vision and generosity, Sky High is funding life-changing research and will be recognized with the naming dedication of an entire floor in the Advanced Research Center—it is giving hope to the families who come through the doors of St. Jude and families everywhere that benefit from the research we freely share,” said Richard Shadyac Jr., president and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “Because of Sky High’s support, St. Jude can continue its pioneering research in vital scientific fields, leading to discoveries that have the potential to lead to cures for cancer and other life-threatening diseases.”
The Advanced Research Center will play a large role in those discoveries as the new home to several shared resources, including a biorepository, advanced microscopy and gene editing. There, scientists will have leading-edge resources and opportunities to pursue breakthroughs in a space that fosters teamwork and generates new ideas.
“My path to Sky High began with a pivotal moment when I walked the halls of St. Jude for the very first time,” Sky High CEO Brittany Hebert said. “We want to make a large and lasting impact for children fighting pediatric cancer in our lifetime, and we’re confident that this project will help generations to come with the groundbreaking research conducted at the Advanced Research Center.”