Press Release
Senior Partner Jay Abdo Honored with Community Impact Award for Dedicated Support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
July 9, 2014
Edina, MN – Jay Abdo, Minneapolis businessman and devoted supporter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, which is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other deadly diseases, was honored with the Community Impact Award during the ALSAC/St. Jude Volunteer Appreciation Awards dinner on June 28.
Every year the ALSAC/St. Jude Boards of Directors and Governors honors outstanding volunteers, donors, organizations and corporate partners from across the country for their support and commitment to the lifesaving mission of St. Jude.
After Jay’s son was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1996, the entire Abdo family began a lifelong mission to support the hospital. Jay was the driving force behind the creation of two key St. Jude events in Minneapolis in 2001: the St. Jude Fall Festival of Hope and the St. Jude Tournament of Hope, both of which continue to take place each year. These events were just the beginning of Jay’s efforts, which have helped to ensure that no family ever receives a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food. To date, Jay and his family have raised nearly $3.3 million for St. Jude and have helped to spread St. Jude’s mission throughout Minneapolis and beyond.
In 2013, when the office of Abdo, Eick & Meyers, LLP, celebrated its 50th anniversary, they also celebrated the kids of St. Jude. Under Jay’s leadership, the firm pledged to raise $50,000 in honor of their 50th year. Not only did Jay meet his goal, he far exceeded it by raising more than $90,000 for the kids of St. Jude.
“I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate our milestone than by raising $50,000 for the greatest institution: St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital,” Jay said.
Each year, millions of donors, volunteers and partners support the lifesaving mission of St. Jude. The ALSAC/St. Jude Volunteer Appreciation Awards serve recognize their efforts and celebrate the milestones achieved because of their dedicated support.
ALSAC CEO Richard Shadyac Jr. and founder Danny Thomas’ daughter Terre Thomas, along with members of the ALSAC/St. Jude Boards of Directors and Governors, presented the 2014 awards.
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 deadly diseases. St. Jude has the world’s best survival rates for the most aggressive childhood cancers, and treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to 80 percent since we opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90 percent in the next decade. St. Jude freely shares the breakthroughs we make, 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 or following St. Jude on facebook.com/stjude and twitter.com/stjude.