Recently, the Goo Goo Dolls‘ John Rzeznik and Robby Takac visited St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® in Memphis, which is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The group presented Richard Shadyac, Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Emily Callahan, Chief Marketing Officer, and Jason Thomas Gordon, founder of Music Gives to St. Jude Kids® and grandson of St. Jude founder Danny Thomas with a check for $22,800 from autographed guitars and drumhead sales during the 2016 Boxes tour, which ends on December 10th.
The donation received from Goo Goo Dolls helps ensure that families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. “Visiting St. Jude was a real eye opener,” says Rzeznik. “It’s amazing that so much good can be done in one place by so many good people. We are grateful to our amazing fans for their generosity and enabling us to present this money to help St. Jude.”
This summer, the Goo Goo Dolls began supporting Music Gives to St. Jude Kids, a program that mobilizes the music community to join the fight against childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases, and raise funds and awareness for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The group is looking forward to continuing their relationship with St. Jude.
About Goo Goo Dolls
The multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated Goo Goo Dolls are one of the most globally respected and influential forces in popular music, selling more than 12 million albums since 1986. They have scored 14 Top 10 radio hits (more than any other artist in the history of the Hot AC format), including “Name,” “Slide,” and “Iris,” the latter spending nearly 12 straight months on the Billboard charts and holding the No. 1 position for 17 consecutive weeks. The band has toured the globe countless times, performed in front of millions of fans, received numerous awards (including four Grammy nominations), and recorded and released 11 studio albums, including 2016’s Boxes. Rzeznik has also been honored with the Songwriters Hall of Fame Hal David Starlight Award.
About Music Gives to St Jude Kids
Music Gives to St. Jude Kids mobilizes the music community – artists, fans, corporate partners and sponsors – to join us in the fight against childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases to raise funds and awareness for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. St. Jude has a long history of support from the music industry since the hospital’s beginning in 1962 when our founder, Danny Thomas, called on entertainers such as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and more to join his cause. Since then, numerous artists and musicians have visited the hospital in support of the St. Jude mission and Danny’s dream that no child should die in the dawn of life. Jason Thomas Gordon, grandson of hospital founder Danny Thomas and lead singer of the band Kingsize, created Music Gives to continue to bring St. Jude and music together to further his family’s legacy and make a difference in the lives of the kids of St. Jude.
About St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90 percent, and we won’t stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook (facebook.com/stjude) and following us on Twitter (@stjude).
