St. Jude Quincy to Peoria Run kickoff party set for Friday

QUINCY — Anyone curious about the St. Jude Quincy to Peoria Run, as well as veteran runners and volunteers, is invited to a kickoff party for this summer’s run at 6 p.m. Friday in the Museum Room of the Dick Brothers Brewery Complex, 929 York.

The party is an opportunity for prospective runners and volunteers to get questions answered, meet people who have participated in previous runs and learn why they’re so passionate about raising funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Light snacks will be served, and a cash bar will be available. Laptops will be available for people who want to register for the run.

The 18^th annual Quincy to Peoria Run will take place Aug. 5-6. Some runners will start in Hannibal, Mo., on Friday morning and meet with the Quincy group in downtown Quincy on Friday afternoon. The group will continue for 135 miles to the Peoria Civic Center, where they will present a fundraising check at the St. Jude Telethon. 

Participants run relay-style for about 24 hours, often in sweltering heat. Runners of all levels are welcome – we only run as fast as the slowest runner – and the focus is on fundraising for the kids and families of St. Jude. Each runner must raise at least $1,000 to participate, with 100 percent of the funds going to St. Jude.

The Quincy run is one of more than 30 satellite runs that support the larger Memphis to Peoria Run, which begins in Memphis, Tenn., site of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Peoria is home to one of several St. Jude satellite hospitals.

The Quincy run has raised $1,489,547 since its inception in 2005.

About St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital:

• St. Jude aims to find cures and save children with pediatric cancer and other catastrophic childhood diseases. The organization freely shares its breakthroughs with doctors and scientists worldwide.
• The treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survivor rate from 20% to more than 80% since the hospital opened in 1962.
• Families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing and food – hospital operations are funded solely by donations.

For more information about the St. Jude Run or the kickoff party, contact run coordinator Caitlin Kendrick at 217-242-9892 or quincystjuderun@gmail.com.