PEORIA, Ill. – The St. Jude Memphis to Peoria runners have made their way back to Illinois with the Blue and Gold teams taking turns running throughout the day.
Co-founder Mike McCoy tells WMBD’s “Greg and Dan” the runners will make one of their favorite stops on the way back very early Saturday morning.
“About 1:30 in the morning, we’ll get to Assumption…a town of about 400 people, and about 500 people show up to greet us,” McCoy says.
The entire town comes out with signs of encouragement, McCoy says, with a sign naming every runner. They also greet them with pies, sandwiches and cinnamon rolls… a lot of food.
McCoy says the reason for the run, now in its 44th year, has always been about helping kids at St. Jude Children’ s Research Hospital beat cancer.
“In 1982, about 8 percent of patients were living with A-L-L, the most common form of childhood cancer, and now it’s 96 percent. But, overall the cancer has gone to over 75 percent for a total of people living,” McCoy says.
To date, the St. Jude Runs have raised over $88 million to help find the cure for all children’s cancers.
The Memphis to Peoria runners will meet up outside the Peoria Civic Center with satellite runners from all over the Midwest Saturday afternoon, ahead of the St. Jude telethon at 6:30 p.m. on WEEK.
To learn more about St. Jude Runs, or to contribute, click HERE.
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