Written by: Wayne Elsey, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
As we shift into the holiday season and keep others more in mind, our team is excited about our partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. We’re glad to have the opportunity to do a St. Jude fundraiser with them. How? We’re doing it with a shoe drive fundraiser. In short, one of the nation’s premier cancer hospitals for children is collecting shoes to raise funds.
I don't usually promote our social enterprise, but I want to speak about this amazing hospital and research center because we're in the season of Giving Tuesday and the holidays. So, if you have shoes you no longer want or need, you could provide them to the St. Jude fundraiser. Call them up and tell them you want to support their cause by contributing your gently worn, used, and new shoes. (A bit more on this partnership later).
St. Jude hospital history
St. Jude is a fantastic place. It was founded in 1962 by the actor Danny Thomas. Thomas made a promise to St. Jude, the patron saint of hopeless causes. That led to the hospital's founding, which became a world-class institution. In short, Thomas' vision was to create a hospital where children who experienced life-threatening illnesses could get exceptional medical care. Moreover, the hospital would not discriminate in any way—including a family's ability to pay. When admitted, every child would receive first-class medical treatment and care.
Since the founding of St. Jude, the hospital has been a leader in pediatric care and research. For instance, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children had a meager survival rate. However, St. Jude work significantly increased the survival rate for children with this type of cancer. It all comes down to their vision that 'no child should die in the dawn of life.’
Raising funds
St. Jude is a world-class pediatric medicine and research leader, but the same holds true in charitable fundraising. Since its founding, St. Jude has relied on the generosity of donors. The hospital has done its St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Telethon for years. The founder himself launched it, and it continues to this day. If that's not amazing and a testament to their vision, I don't know what is.
However, the hospital and research center have expanded beyond celebrity-filled telethons. Its fundraising team is a juggernaut for fundraising. They raise funds with corporate sponsorships, major gifts, and even gaming. So, just as they operate in research and medical care, the institution is innovative and on the cutting edge in fundraising. In other words, they don't limit how they fundraise. They look to do whatever it takes to help the children in their care and for their vital research.
Shoe drive fundraising for St. Jude
Because of the fact that their work is so vital, I'm featuring them in this article. And during the holiday season, I'm asking everyone who reads this piece to consider contributing shoes for this unique St. Jude fundraiser. As the CEO of Funds2Orgs, which partnered with St. Jude, I can share that your generosity would do so much for many. Not only would you help to raise funds for St. Jude, but you would do much more.
For one, you would ensure to do your part for our planet. I think we all know how essential it is for us to lower our carbon footprint. And one of those ways is with shoes. Most people don't realize that more than 300 million shoes end up in the trash every year. That isn't good for the planet. There's a much better path, which is repurposing shoes. In short, we issue a payment for the shoes collected. There's no limit on the number of shoes St. Jude can collect.
Our social enterprise processes the shoes collected for the St. Jude fundraiser. Once we issue them the payment, we ship the shoes to 24 developing nations worldwide. In many of these nations, because of systemic poverty, people and families have to create their own paths since jobs that pay a living wage are hard to come by. We have over 4,000 micro-enterprise partners who sell the shoes collected in the United States for a sustainable income.
Make a difference today
So, I invite you today to make a difference. Join the St. Jude fundraiser and support an incredible cause that doesn't involve a financial donation. As we know, the American people are some of the most charitable and generous people in the world. By collecting shoes in your community for St. Jude, you can help alter the lives of children in the care. But as I mentioned, you could do so much more for the planet and people worldwide.
© 2023 Wayne Elsey. All Rights Reserved.
Wayne Elsey, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Wayne Elsey is the founder and CEO of Elsey Enterprises. Among his independent brands, he is also the founder and CEO of Funds2Orgs. This social enterprise helps nonprofits, schools, churches, civic groups, individuals, and others raise funds while helping to support micro-enterprise (small business) opportunities in developing nations and the environment.
