Terre Thomas, St. Jude supporter Steve Feldstein and event hosts Robert Ellis and Dan Kough at the fundraising event at Ellis' store.
A unique fundraising event at the Los Angeles store of designer Robert Ellis raised thousands for the children of St. Jude during the holiday season.
Attended by Terre Thomas, daughter of St. Jude founder Danny Thomas, the boutique-style shopping experience brought together friends of the hospital and the Thomas family in an event that highlighted one of the ways that small businesses can support St. Jude. Ellis, a longtime friend of St. Jude, co-founded Runway for Life® a star-studded Hollywood celebrity fundraising fashion show.
“I am thrilled about this, and I am proud of my friend Robert Ellis for having created this wonderful project where smaller retailers can involve themselves with St. Jude,” says Terre Thomas. “This can be a marvelous thing to help catastrophically ill children fight their battle . . . and win. To me there is no greater cause.”
The December 12 shopping event at Ellis' store, attended by about 50 people, raised approximately $15,000 for St. Jude through donations at the register and Ellis' donation of 20 percent of all sales to the hospital.
"St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is so near and dear to me that it did not feel right to go through the holiday season without giving back,” says Ellis. “My wish is that other business owners see these results and know that they, too, can make a difference for the children of St. Jude.”
January 2014