Cayla's million dollar dream

Cayla Kumar has raised roughly $25,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, but that is only the beginning for this 13-year-old St. Jude supporter. Cayla has set a personal goal to raise $2.7 million for St. Jude, choosing that lofty number by flipping the numbers of her birthday – July (seven) of 2002 (two).a

Cayla first heard about St. Jude through a St. Jude Math-A-Thon at her school, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Academy in Queens Village, New York.

But her involvement and dedication reached new levels in 2013 when she won the inaugural Young Voice of NYC talent competition, which crowns its winner as a youth ambassador for St. Jude.

“That brings kids in because it is a talent competition and you get to represent an amazing cancer research hospital for kids,” Cayla said. “I know a lot of people want to get involved … I know that I have to promote St. Jude a lot to continue my fundraising and reach my fundraising goals.”

Cayla wants to have a St. Jude fundraiser for every season of each year. She's already been involved with bowling tournaments, barbecues, a story-time event in which children were asked to write essays and poems about courage, and a water balloon fight at a New Jersey park. 

Cayla said that, after speaking about St. Jude at a recent fundraising event, “people came up and donated right away. I was excited because I knew I helped make a difference.”