ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, graduated the fourth cohort of the ALSAC Global Scholars Basic Fundraising Program on June 7. The group of 23 scholars representing 13 countries underwent a final week of in-person training culminating in a graduation ceremony at the Domino’s Event Center on the St. Jude campus.
2023 ALSAC Global Scholars Program graduates pose on the steps of the Marlo Thomas Center for Global Education and Collaboration on the campus of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Graduate Sydney Chahonyo of Kenya addresses fellow graduates and audience at the Domino’s Event Center on the campus of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The program is a 10-month college-level training involving online coursework and capstone projects implemented by each scholar in their home country. It is part of the ALSAC Global Alliance program that provides training at no charge to member institutions from across the world who support the hospitals of the St. Jude Global Alliance. This training helps members strengthen their fundraising and management skills to provide a broad scope of services to childhood cancer patients and their families. The program currently has 67 member foundations from 53 countries.
“These incredibly accomplished graduates are our partners in a global mission. They help save the lives of children with cancer – and they inspire us,” said Richard C. Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC. “We are honored to collaborate with and help foundations worldwide raise funds to support hospitals, patients and families as we work together to improve survival rates for childhood cancer across the world.”
Since the program started in 2019, 46 graduates have applied its training to raise more than $4 million collectively for research and treatment of childhood cancer in their home countries. Some achievements include:
- Armenia: An ALSAC Global Program graduate raised $288,000 through a gala despite ongoing civil disruptions in the country, an increase of $100,000 from the prior year.
- El Salvador: A program graduate improved their online campaigning and raised $100,000 for cancer patients and families.
- Zimbabwe: Drawing on the program’s training, a scholar helped raise $1 million that led to the opening of the first patient housing facility for pediatric cancer in Harare.
Learn more about the global work of St. Jude and donate to join the mission of helping children across the world.
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.
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