Thank you for joining us for the annual St. Jude Evening with the Stars Gala on Friday, April 4, 2025 at Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino in East Peoria, as your support helps ensure St. Jude patients can continue to receive the customized care they need to treat childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases, no matter what barriers they may face.
For years, Central Illinois has gathered to celebrate and raise funds at the annual St. Jude Evening with the Stars Gala. With your support, this gala has grown into a major fundraising event supporting the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: Finding cures. Saving children.® Everywhere.
Matching gifts are an easy way to increase your donation to St. Jude — at no additional cost to you! Many employers support your altruistic efforts by offering matching gift programs to your favorite charities. Check if your employer will match your gift to St. Jude or contact us at matchinggifts@stjude.org.
For information on sponsorship or volunteer opportunities at next year's event on Friday, April 17, 2026, please contact Gina Seghetti at Gina.Seghetti@alsac.stjude.org.
Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped raise the survival rate for children with cancer in the United States, where 4 out of 5 children survive cancer.
In many countries, however, only 1 out of 5 children who develop cancer will survive. We won’t stop until no child dies from cancer, no matter where they live.
St. Jude patient Everly
Choose the right planned gift for you
St. Jude patient Han, pictured with family
IRA charitable contributions
If you're 70 ½ or older, you can contribute to St. Jude from your IRA and potentially receive tax benefits. You can have your IRA administrator use our sample letter.
St. Jude patient Nora Kay
Donor-advised funds
You can recommend a grant from your donor-advised fund by calling your fund manager or by signing in to your granting institution and selecting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
St. Jude patient Maelin-Kate
Gifts of stock
When gifting stock, you can reference our transfer form, or call us at (800) 395-4341 to inform us of your gift, so we can properly acknowledge your gift and provide you with a tax receipt.
St. Jude patient Franser
Charitable gift annuities
Charitable gift annuities may interest you if you want to transfer cash or securities to St. Jude and receive lifetime payments for yourself or a loved one.
Highlights from the 2024 St. Jude Evening with the Stars
Thank you to our event committee
Event Chairs:
Steve Gardner • Jodi Lindsay • Liz Wilson
Event Committee:
Ashley Bradshaw • Amanda Campbell • Curt Curtis • Melissa Fox • Kristy Howell • Meghan Jackson • Evan Jenkins • Tracy Korger • Jim Lindsay • Mike & Amy McCoy • Ryan & Kari McCracken • Amy Morgan • Tammy Risinger • Sherry Semonis • Annette Slyman • Megan Wineland
Award Winners
Juanita & Dan Deeb Volunteer Service Award
Jim Carlson
Corporate Service Award
Jim Maloof/REALTOR®
St. Jude stories from Central Illinois
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Every minute counts: How one CPA shares the St. Jude story with supporters
James Ingold watched a family go from panic to hope in 60 seconds. Now, he asks others to fund St. Jude for just a minute.
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Fueled by a family legacy of giving, Jim Bourazak of Peoria rides on for St. Jude
He knows how much St. Jude helps families because it helped his.
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Illinois child survives rare cancer at St. Jude, returns to build garden where hope grows
Years after St. Jude saved his life, Jeremiah Godby returned to campus and saw the need for an outdoor space for spiritual healing. Then he helped make it happen.
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... could help provide chemotherapy IV tubing sets*
A $100 donation could provide five chemotherapy IV tubing sets sized especially to help children receive treatment.*
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... could help provide one day of oxygen for a St. Jude patient*
During treatment, St. Jude patients may need oxygen to help their bodies function properly and aid in healing.
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... could help provide 20 days of meals for a St. Jude patient*
St. Jude provides patients and their families with meal cards for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Kay Kafe, the hospital’s cafeteria.
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… could help provide 7 sets of school supplies for St. Jude patients*
Many patients can keep attending school after diagnosis and during treatment. These patients may need accommodations or other services to help them succeed.
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… could help provide 9 hours of physical therapy for St. Jude patients*
Children with life-threatening diseases may develop physical impairments as a result of their illness or treatments. Physical therapy can help St. Jude patients improve strength, balance, flexibility and coordination.
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… could help provide 18 chest x-rays, one view*
X-rays are imaging tests that take pictures of the inside of the body. Doctors use X-rays to help diagnose and monitor a St. Jude patient’s treatment.
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Support of our mission
Any amount supports kids around the world. St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save even more children.*
* Your donation will be used to provide breakthrough research, treatment and cures. Items listed here are representative of services and supplies that are part of the treatment and care of children at St. Jude. The cost of each item or service is an approximation, and will vary based on actual costs incurred and individual patient needs. Your donation will be used for the general operating needs of St. Jude, where no family ever receives a bill for treatment, travel, housing or food.
Get involved locally
Find additional events, volunteer opportunities and more ways to connect with St. Jude supporters in Peoria, Bloomington-Normal and across Central and Southern Illinois.
Other ways you can get involved:
