A fusion of philanthropy, pilots and paddles generated greater purpose this week when more than 500 generous donors and community members gathered for the 2023 St. Jude JAM presented by Delta Dental of Tennessee and HH Global. The annual fundraiser, which combines a concert with an auction, is part of a weeklong series of events during the FedEx St. Jude Championship to support the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: Finding cures. Saving children.®
Together, supporters helped raise more than $1 million through an online and in person auction as well as direct donations. One sought-after item each year is a replica 1965 Shelby Cobra Roadster built by FedEx pilots. Their support shone through during the annual car build that has become a tradition since 2015 when the idea was introduced to build a custom car in seven days, for charity. The workmanship has grown since then, with teams of FedEx pilots dedicating long days and nights to construct a one-of-a-kind car that is auctioned to benefit St. Jude, whose work spans the globe to impact the 400,000 kids around the world with cancer each year. The car auction is one of several programs showing how FedEx St. Jude Championship week is about more than golf - it’s a full week of raising funds and awareness to impact the world.
With a final bid of $125K, the 2023 car auction surpassed an incredible $1 million raised for St. Jude since the first build in 2015. Other unique auction items up for bid included a trip to the Ryder Cup in Italy, Gibson guitars autographed by St. Jude JAM artists and a trip to watch the launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, a Polaris Dawn mission at Kennedy Space Center later this year.
This year’s concert featured exceptional talent, with Tommy DeCarlo, lead singer of Boston, Gary LeVox, lead singer of Rascal Flatts, and singer-songwriter Jillian Cardarelli performing to a capacity crowd, all backed by SIXWIRE. Nonprofit organization Tennessee Mass Choir brought the house down under direction from Grammy-nominated music producer Jason Clark.
Because of support from events like St. Jude JAM, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live.
Donate to St. Jude kids at StJude.org/StJudeJam.
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 life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children.® It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. When St. Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was considered largely incurable. Since then, St. Jude has helped push the overall survival rate from 20% to more than 80%, and it won't stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes to help doctors and researchers at local hospitals and cancer centers around the world improve the quality of treatment and care for even more children. Because of generous donors, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live. Visit St. Jude Inspire to discover powerful St. Jude stories of hope, strength, love and kindness. Support the St. Jude mission by donating at stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St. Jude on X, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok, and subscribing to its YouTube channel.