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2007 Goal
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Welcome!!!
The St.
Jude Memphis to Peoria Run, the idea of Co-founders Mike McCoy and Gene
Pratt, began with the idea of a way to raise money for their favorite charity,
St. Jude. The concept of driving to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
in Memphis and then running back, relay-style, to the St. Jude Midwest
Affiliate in Peoria, has come to be one of the foremost charity running events
in the nation. Each year since 1982, runners have paid for the honor to
participate in this unique, 465-mile event.
Because not everyone can participate in the more rigorous
Memphis to Peoria Run, auxiliary runs were started from communities throughout
Illinois. Employees, doctors, and nurses from the St. Jude Hospital in Memphis
also participate in this event along with runners from cities like Chicago,
Macomb, Bloomington/Normal, LaSalle/Peru, Springfield, Lincoln,
Champaign/Urbana, Galesburg, Canton, Quad Cities, Elmwood, Macomb, Pekin, St.
Louis and the Tri-County. Each of these cities send runners to Peoria to meet
the Memphis to Peoria Runners and help kick off the St. Jude Telethon held in
Peoria, Illinois, each year in August.
The History
In 1986, the family of a St Jude patient, in Towanda,
organized and launched the Bloomington to Peoria Run. For 16 years, the Epsilon
Sigma Alpha (ESA) Sorority organized the event for the Bloomington runners.
In 2002, a team of past St. Jude runners, working with the St. Jude Runs office
in Peoria, organized the event for Bloomington/Normal. Together, they pulled
off the most successful Bloomington/Normal to Peoria run, yet!
Our Mission
Individual fund raising efforts will, as always, play a
large role in meeting this goal. However, we know there is more we can do to
reach out to the community for support and involvement. We plan to:
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Secure media sponsors - Local newspaper & radio.
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Corporate sponsorship
- solicit sponsorship from area companies in the form of monetary and in-kind
donations. In-kind donations are needed for the day of the run as well as for
incentives for fundraising.
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Fundraising incentives - incentives will be awarded to top fundraising
individuals and teams.
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Group fundraising activities will be used to raise money and community
awareness as well as to build camaraderie within the group.
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Team Challenge - businesses and organizations within Bloomington/Normal and
surrounding communities will be asked to form teams to participate in the run.
Companies and organizations providing a team will be recognized on shirts and
with signage. Prizes will be awarded for top fundraising teams.
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Individual fund raising requirement will be $500. This requirement applies
whether runner is part of a team or not (the sponsoring organization may choose
to contribute a portion of their sponsorship requirement).
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