38 years of running for St. Jude’s.
Co-founder of the Memphis to Peoria Run, Mike McCoy, says in run’s first year, doctors told him there would never be cancer patients that would be able to join the run.
“I think we have seven former patients running this year. s. Which is staggering to me, because I was told that would never happen,” McCoy said.
McCoy says this year’s Memphis to Peoria Run includes 214 runners.
He adds, over 38 years, they have seen the survival rate of patients continue to climb.
“In 1982, when we first ran, the average survival rate of St. Jude patients was just 5-percent. But, now the overall success rate’s over 70-percent, almost 75-percent. And, for A-L-L, the most common form of cancer, it’s 95-percent,” McCoy said.
He says each of the St. Jude runners raise a minimum of $3,000 to participate. But, they also give up a week of their lives, and train year-round to get ready to run.
Nicole Rice, of Washington, is one of the runners helping St. Jude’s this week. It is her 5th year with the Memphis to Peoria Run. She says touring the hospital motivates her.
“Seeing the kids faces, and everything that they go through. And, just being there and supporting them, knowing that we’ve got their backs, makes it all worth it,” Rice said.
Jay Fox has been part of the Memphis to Peoria Run for 19 years. He says the hospital’s campus keeps getting bigger.
“New research centers, pharmaceutical centers, where they make all of own their own pharmaceuticals. That’s why we gotta keep running, because they need more money to buy more building, and build more buildings so they can find a cure. Because, we’re not there yet,” Fox said.
He says meeting St. Jude’s patients is always emotional.
“The first year I did this, I called my wife. And, I said, we gripe about our kids. And, we’ve got healthy, beautiful kids. We’re not down here fighting for their lives. And, every year you go in there, and you can’t help but get welled up.”
Fox adds, “St. Jude’s isn’t a sad place, it’s actually one of the happiest hospitals you’ll ever see. And, the kids are happy.”
The Memphis to Peoria Runners will be running over the next several days, making it back to Peoria in time to join runners from 34 satellite runs Saturday ahead of the St. Jude Telethon on 25 News.
To date, the St. Jude runs have raised over $60 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
For more information about the St. Jude Runs, click HERE.
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