National Black Marathoners Association forms partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Members are encouraged to join the fight to end childhood cancer
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Aug. 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Today St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® and the National Black Marathoners Association (NBMA) announced a new partnership to benefit the hospital’s lifesaving mission: Finding cures. Saving children.®
Partnerships like the NBMA raise awareness and funds for the hospital to help ensure families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.
The National Black Marathoners Association is the largest nonprofit organization of its kind in the country dedicated to encouraging African Americans and others to pursue a healthy lifestyle through distance running and walking.
Through this collaboration, the NBMA is an official partner of the St. Jude Memphis Marathon® Weekend presented by Juice Plus+® in 2019 and 2020. The organization will further engage its members with the hospital’s mission by hosting its 16th NBMA Annual Summit in 2020 during the St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend from Thursday, Dec. 3rd, through Saturday, Dec. 5th.
Over the years, many NBMA members have participated in St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend as St. Jude Heroes to raise funds and awareness for the hospital’s research and treatment of children with childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
One such St. Jude Hero is Kescia Muhammah. She credits St. Jude with saving the life of a family friend who received treatment there. Hearing about the hospital’s work, motivated her to run her first half and full marathons during previous St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekends.
“There’s nothing more gratifying than running through the St. Jude campus and actually seeing the patients and their families cheering you on,” said Muhammad. “I can’t wait for all of NBMA to experience the love.”
The NBMA will also support the hospital through the annual St. Jude Walk/Run in September. This year, the St. Jude Walk/Run will take place in 63 communities nationwide during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
For more information about St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, visit stjude.org. To learn more about the National Black Marathoners Association, visit blackmarathoners.org.
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. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to more than 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude won’t stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org, sharing stories and videos from St. Jude Inspire, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St. Jude on Twitter and Instagram and subscribing to its YouTube channel.
About the National Black Marathoners’ Association
The National Black Marathoners’ Association (NBMA) is the largest nonprofit organization in the U.S. dedicated to encouraging Black Americans and others to pursue a healthy lifestyle through distance running and walking. It is open to everyone, regardless of his or her athletic ability or previous marathon experience. Over $35,000 has been awarded to deserving high school and college students.
The NBMA hosts an annual multi-race summit. Previous races and locations have been Lewis & Clark (St. Charles, MO), New Jersey (Long Branch, NJ), Cleveland (OH), Lost Dutchman (Apache Junction, AZ), Cowtown (Fort Worth, TX), Georgia(Atlanta), Bermuda International Race Weekend, Deadwood-Michelson (Deadwood, SD), Madison (WI), Richmond (VA), Windermere (Spokane, WA), Dallas, Columbus, GO! St. Louis, Baltimore Running Festival, and Little Rock Marathons. For more information, visit blackmarathoners.org.
SOURCE ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
